Crutches of Emotion
by LFxo
Summary: In the wake of Detective Frost's death, Maura and Jane become each other's emotional crutches. My first multi-fic. Rated M for future chapters. I hope y'all enjoy it!
1. Chapter 1

As her phone buzzed with Jane's reply, Maura slowly walked over to her desk and did something she was doing quite a lot of late: she stepped out of her heels, letting one fall to its side. The height and confidence she exuded when wearing them didn't suit her mood, but the lack of height and insignificance of having no shoes on made her feel better, even if it was only to make her feel more true to her misery.

'_Ok_' read Jane's simple reply, letting Maura know that the always reliable detective would be down shortly to lend a shoulder to cry on.

The doctor had just finished yet another autopsy of a poor soul gruesomely cut open or shot or beaten to a pulp, and yet again, she felt this weird twang inside of not having to turn to her friend and tell him "sink". She missed him. She missed his quick wit; his understanding of some things that went right over Jane's head; his smile. She missed that smile.

The void Barry Frost left would never be replaced by Frankie or any other detective that stepped in, no matter how hard they tried, so there would always be that... whatever it was, that told her: he's gone. One minute he was here trying to hold down his lunch, and the next, he was just gone.

Jane missed him too. Of course she would, and despite her attempts to strive on and be herself, she too felt the void. The desk across from hers was empty; that silly doll... action figure the only thing that occasionally made the corners of her mouth turn up into a small smile. Even then, it never reached her eyes. Tears found their way there instead.

A quick shake of her head to bring herself out, and the gentle hum of her phone vibrating as a message from Maura came through made her realise that she had work to do; that someone had been murdered, and looking at the action figure would not solve it.

'_Finished autopsy. Need a hug._' Maura Isles was not a hugger. Jane Rizzoli was not a hugger. But somehow they would fall into each other's arms and cling on until something interrupted them. Sometimes they would hold onto each other for what seemed hours. They'd always hugged before, but these days, a simple moment wrapped in the other's arms seemed like the only thing that would give them enough strength to last for the next few hours.

Jane stared blankly at the doors of the elevator on her way down to Maura until they dinged open and, like a zombie, she made her way to the M.E's office. Not even the detective's usual swagger seemed to hold as much power as it used to. She gently rapped her knuckles on the doctor's door and swung it open when she head the quiet little 'come in' from the other side.

As soon as her eyes found Maura's tired figure, they stuck. She closed the door behind her back and took a step towards Maura, unknowingly being as silent as she could. Maura was facing her desk, her fingertips skimming over meaningless papers and her head dipped. She opened her mouth to say something but a shuddery sob came out instead.

Jane slipped her arms around Maura's waist and rested her head on Maura's soft-as-silk hair. In the past few weeks, this had sort have become a routine. They'd come and give each other comfort when the other asked, not a single word needing to be said. It usually finished with 'I'll talk to you later' or 'ok?' and a nod, but something was nagging at the inside of Maura saying that it wouldn't end like that this time. She had been talking to Nedda earlier that morning, and the pain etched on the other woman's face had ripped the doctor's entire being in two. She'd used all her effort not to break down and cry with her that second, to save it for later when she was alone or with Jane. But what they had discussed kept replaying in her mind all day.

_"__I wish I'd said it," Nedda stated almost as if she were talking to herself._

_"__Said what?"_

_Nedda looked up from her now cold coffee, her make up clearly smudged from tears. "That I love him. I had all the time in the world... at least I thought so, and now he'll never know, and I have to live with that." Maura slumped back into her chair slightly as she saw the pain that that fact had brought Nedda. Maura always thought they were a cute couple, even if she had called Jane a bitch._

_She didn't know what to say to the other woman. She always prided herself on being very straight forward, never feeling the regret of not telling someone something, so she just reached across the table and took Nedda's hand in her own. She ran her thumb over the soft skin beneath, the same skin, she was sure, that had been used as a make-shift tissue for wiping away relentless tears._

Jane's grip loosened on Maura's waist as the now significantly shorter woman spun in her grasp. Before Jane could stand up fully, Maura's arms slid around her neck, pulling herself up onto her toes as she pressed her weak form against Jane's. Maura's tears dripped into Jane's hair, making it stick to her skin, so she pulled back a little. Jane grabbed the blonde's arms and pulled them down to her side, bringing her back to her flat feet before tucking Maura's wayward hair behind her ears. Jane smoothed her thumbs over Maura's flushed cheeks wiping away the remnants of the first wave of tears, then pulled her to her chest.

'_I wish I'd said it_'. The words kept playing in Maura's head. She tried to drown it out; tried to enjoy Jane's comfort, but it wouldn't happen. Nedda's words kept getting louder in her head until it got to loud entirely and Maura released a frustrated groan. She turned her head so her forehead was pressed against the base of Jane's neck and the voice seemed to dull. A slow breath passed her lips and danced on Jane's skin.

Jane released a similar breath, noting the final ease in Maura. She sniffled as the last of her silent tears made their way down her cheeks. She liked the way Maura's warm breath played across her skin; like the calm waves on the shore after a storm, she thought. She wouldn't be caught dead thinking such sweet, poetic thoughts with anyone but Maura. With Maura she could be as badass or as sappy as she felt, knowing that the doctor would enjoy it or join in, even if it was in a mocking sense.

Maura could feel Jane's pulse through her skin and it was calming, but Jane moved her head suddenly and the gentle rhythm vanished. Maura moved her head in reply, pressing her forehead back into Jane's neck trying to feel that subtle thump come through. She found it again and relaxed as the pace matched her own steady heartbeat.

'_That I love him_' Maura's mental recorder had started up again. She rubbed her forehead further up Jane's neck and her nose began to gently press into the detective's warm skin. '_I love him._' She kept pressing until her lips softly grazed Jane's skin. The sensation made Jane's eyes shoot open, but she didn't say anything, wondering if Maura had just done it by accident or not. '_I love._' Maura pressed her lips into Jane's skin, essentially kissing her, but not actually meaning to.

"Maura?" Jane whispered, but it did nothing. Maura's heart took over and she kissed Jane's neck on purpose this time. She dropped her bottom jaw, then tilted her head further up Jane's long neck, her bottom lip sticking to the slightly flushed skin beneath it before dragging softly up until her lips came together again. Her hands came up from her side and rested on Jane's hips. As she planted another tender kiss on her best friend's skin, her fingernails raked up Jane's waist.

The tickle it caused snapped Jane back and "Maura!" '_Love._' Maura brought her hands up to cup Jane's face as she stood up onto her toes. She didn't even bother to look at Jane's mouth before she smashed their lips together. Her hands slid into Jane's hair, her lips tingling and wanting more, but before she could get it, Jane pushed her back. "Maura!"

"Jane, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just... I wanted to... Please Jane!" She stuttered before resuming her frenzied kiss. Jane was more prepared this time, but just as her hands found Maura's waist, ready to push her back again, the blonde's delicate lips moved against hers, taking the detective's bottom lip between her own and tugging down. Jane gave in temporarily, finding her best friend's kiss to be something of a delight. Never had she been pulled into a kiss quite so tender, yet so wonting. She forgot herself, and in that moment of relent she opened her mouth slightly, giving Maura ample opportunity to deepen the kiss. She did just that, slipping her tongue into Jane's mouth.

Maura's fingers wound around the unruly strands of Jane's hair, using it as leverage to bring Jane closer, and when satisfied with the closeness of their bodies, wrapped her arms around Jane's neck. She didn't have time to get comfortable however, as Jane had gathered herself and slowly held Maura back by her waist as she pulled away. Maura sighed painfully at the loss of contact, but didn't go back for more, fearing that she'd scare Jane more than she already had.

She dropped her hands to her side, showing Jane that the kiss was over and she wouldn't start up again. Jane sighed in relief and let go of Maura's waist. She stepped back slightly, just making sure she'd have more time to react in case Maura lunged at her for another kiss. Maura read her mind and tilted her head in a questioning manner.

"What?"

"I'm not going to kiss you again, Jane."

"I know you're not going to kiss me again." She paused as her mind raced. "Again. Why did you kiss me in the first place?"

Maura sat back on the edge of her desk and looked at her bare feet. She wriggled her toes as she thought of how she should put it. "I was talking to Nedda and she said she regretted never telling Frost that she loved him."

"And he'll never know that she really loved him, but I still don't get why you ki-" Jane's eyes widened in shock. "You _love_ me?"

"Of course I love you, Jane. And I know you love me, so don't get all freaked out on me." Maura answered with a slight chuckle to herself.

"I'm not gonna freak out." Maura cocked an eyebrow. "Ok, I might freak out, but I don't love you like that."

"I know, Jane, and I thought I didn't either." She raised her hand to stop Jane from butting in. "But Nedda's words have been playing in my head all day, and you were right there, and I _do_ love you," Maura looked down again. "And I just wanted to kiss you."

Jane swallowed her fear and spoke up as to not seem like a cowering little child in the face of emotion. "Have you wanted to kiss me before?" Maura hesitated before simply looking up, her hazel eyes meeting directly with Jane's warm brown ones immediately. "Oh, Maur... I-" Her phone buzzed as a message from Korsak came in alerting her to a lead in their case. She read it then stuck her phone back in its holder and looked back to Maura, her arm outstretched with the autopsy report in hand. "Maur..."

"Go, it's ok."

Her voice sounded less than ok, but, "ok; I'll talk to you later." Jane grabbed the report, turned to the door and opened it before turning back to her best friend. "Thanks for the hug." And with that she was gone, the door clicking shut behind her.

Maura looked back down at the ground before whispering "best hug ever", before pushing herself off her desk, forcing herself to get back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as she stomped on into the BRIC, Jane tried to turn her mind off. She'd let herself dwell on the kiss with her best friend in the elevator up from the morgue, which she really shouldn't have done. As much as the headstrong detective liked to believe that she could just ignore something and move on with more important things; that sure as hell wasn't going to happen right now.

Korsak briefed her on what they had discovered for their case, to which Jane dutifully nodded and chimed in with her two cents worth every now and then, but her mind kept wandering back to the first feeling of Maura's feather soft lips gracing her skin.

"You alright, Janie?" Apparently she was too obviously thinking of the M.E, as Frankie had noticed every time she zoned out.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok... You just keep telling yourself that," he muttered under his breath, but Jane's ears pricked up and she shot him a glare that would make anyone shut up...except her brother. He knew Jane. He knew she was not ok, because it was written all over her face, and he wasn't sure, but he could swear she was now wearing lipstick when she wasn't half an hour ago.

The rest of her day seemed to go routinely; they brought in a suspect, interrogated them, got some useful information, followed a lead, Jane had a hunch, and by 5pm they had caught the guy. The only thing was that if you asked Jane what happened, she would tell you she couldn't remember exactly, or it was nothing special. Both were true of course, for all she could remember was Maura kissing her and the tingles she got down her spine when Maura's fingertips pressed into her shoulders, and that was the only thing special that happened to her that day.

She turned down both Frankie and Korsak for a celebratory drink at the Dirty Robber after work, opting instead to catch up on paperwork. The truth was that she knew deep down she would be thinking about Maura, even if she tried to stop, and Frankie would figure her out before their second beer. In saying that, she didn't get much paperwork done either.

Maura finished later than usual, finishing her own paperwork proved to be harder than usual with Jane dancing in her head. She called it a day around 7:30pm wandering up to the Division One Café, hoping to catch Angela before she toddled off home.

She was in luck as Angela was just collecting her bag. Maura sat herself down at one of the counter stools as Angela came out of the kitchen. "Oh, Maura, honey; I thought you went home a while ago."

"No, I had some paperwork to finish. I just wanted to let you know that Jane may be a bit emotional."

"Oh... well, I'll keep that in mind for when I see her."

"Wait, what? You haven't seen her? She hasn't come down yet?" Maura was confused. She thought Jane closed the case and would've wanted to get as far away from Maura as she could.

"No, I suppose she hasn't. I mean, I haven't seen her."

Maura pushed herself off the stool and turned to make her way up to Jane before she chickened out and let it go for tomorrow. "Thanks, Angela."

"Wait, why would Janie be upset?"

"No reason." The elder Rizzoli stared at her and tilted her head. "We just... cried a bit over Barry today."

"Oh," she replied with an understanding nod; and so Maura made way to the elevator. It dinged open a short while later and she stepped in. She lost count of how many times she took a deep breath to calm herself, noting instead that none of them succeeded. As the elevator came to a stop, she took in one final breath and held it, hoping it gave her some extra confidence somehow.

The doors opened and most of the homicide level was in darkness, except for a small desk lamp that glowed over Jane's dark messy hair. As she stepped into the room, Maura noticed that Jane was asleep on her desk, not just intensely looking at her reports like she hoped she was.

She walked over as quietly as she could manage and stood over the detective. Jane was facing away from her lamp on the left side of her desk so Maura could only just make out Jane's facial features. Her brow was furrowed, showing that her dreaming had turned more into thinking. '_I wonder what about..._' Maura thought.

She really didn't want to startle the brunette, but she also didn't want her to wake up with the worst neck pain in the morning. She started gently, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Jane's ear. She stirred, but didn't wake. Next Maura gave Jane's shoulder a shake, only making her snuggle further into her makeshift pillow of paper and her jacket. Maura tried again, but Jane grumbled in response. "Maura."

'_Phew! She's awake_' except she wasn't.

"Kiss me." Maura's eyes shot open and her ears pricked up, hoping that Jane might just maybe repeat her command a little clearer. "Kiss meeeeeeee!" that one came out as a whine, like whatever 'Maura' Jane was thinking of was holding out on her; teasing her maybe. Maura knelt down next to Jane and placed her right hand on her knee. Jane's 'sleep' reflexes were almost as good as her 'awake' reflexes as she quickly latched on to Maura's wrist. She slid her hand down to Maura's and attempted to intertwine their fingers, but she was too asleep to make it work.

Maura began to give in, finding sleepy Jane quite adorable. She wrapped her left arm over Jane's shoulders, tangling her fingers into the loose strands of hair on the other side. She leaned in close whispering Jane's name in a last attempt to wake her up. No luck. Maura shrugged her shoulders in defeat and leaned in closer to kiss Jane's cheek. She immediately regretted doing so, as she could hardly find the will power to pull back.

The kiss lingered on and on until Maura got completely carried away and moved to kiss Jane's jawline back to her ear. She brought her left hand back over leaving her arm to rest on Jane's strong shoulders as she gently pulled the detectives wild hair back to reveal her neck. Maura dragged her lips down to that sensitive spot just below Jane's ear then further down her neck. She could feel the vibrations of Jane's voice beneath her lips and so she froze.

"Thank you for waking me up, but you can stop now." Maura pulled back quickly and stood up, brushing the creases out of her dress. She opened her mouth to apologise but Jane cut her off as she, too, stood up. "Don't apologise. I think I did ask you to anyway." Maura looked shocked, but then did relax into a giggle.

"You whined it, actually."

"God, how embarrassing!" Jane strained as she rubbed her eyes of their sleep and then stretched her arms above her head. Maura giggled some more before picking up Jane's phone as she picked up her severely wrinkled jacket. Maura handed Jane her phone and smiled a little when Jane grazed her finger over hers.

"Can I walk you to your car?" she asked as they started off. Jane froze, so Maura turned around. She frowned at Jane's disgruntled look, then eased up. "I won't kiss you goodnight, I promise."

"Even if I whine?" she teased, the same look still on her face as she pulled her jacket on.

"Especially then; do you know how much of a pushover that makes me look?" Jane let out a laugh then, giving Maura a slight shove before flicking her hair over the back of her jacket. She continued her little chuckle as she opened the door for Maura. "We'll have to talk about this, you know," Maura stated as they waited for the elevator.

"I know." Jane answered sheepishly, looking down at her feet. "Tomorrow?"

Maura nodded. "Tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

Jane wished she could just 'leave it', but...no. Everything played in her mind repeatedly; each time over with more detail and more memories brought back. Maura's lips, her skin, her breath, her hands, the sound of her kisses, the way her body slid so easily against Jane's due to that unbelievably silky smooth dress, the scent of her hair, the texture of her it brushing Jane's face... it all became so vivid and real whenever the detective closed her eyes.

She hated to think of it, but nothing in her mind had ever been this vivid and true to life save when she had nightmares about Hoyt. She shook her head, knowing that if she dwelled too much on that fact, he too would enter her mind and make it so very difficult to remove. It already was hard, just thinking of his name, but nature ran its course and she thought of the nightmares, the fear she felt when she woke up, reaching over for her phone, Maura's voice on the end of the line, the far too long drive over to her best friend's, and finally the overwhelming feeling of safety when Maura opened her door and her arms for Jane.

So now she was back to Maura, and everything wonderful about who she was... even the weird stuff. It felt strange in that moment to have the urge to call Maura so she could feel safe from her own mind, but the same sense of not going to, because it was Maura... or rather Maura's lips, that she needed saving from.

She'd enjoyed the kiss? Yeah, when she thought about it. It was soft... no beard, and Maura was so good at it, but the whole thing just freaked her out because, even if she was gay or bisexual, this was Maura she was talking about. Not just some other random gorgeous woman, this was _the_ gorgeous woman. The one who rambled off facts from her encyclopaedia brain like everyone knew what she was talking about. The one that used to ruin dates with guys by diagnosing them with potentially deadly illnesses. The one who Jane almost lost to the hands of many a serial killer, one she was dating, one who would've done it just to hurt Jane.

_To hurt me._ She ran through her mind and recounted the files of Hoyt, despite how much she wanted to turn her brain off for the night. _Hoyt exacted the most fear by targeting couples_. Jane thought back to her birthday at the prison hospital when she was pinned down and Hoyt was hovering over a Tasered Maura holding a scalpel to her perfect throat. Jane remembered the immediate sting in her eyes from tears when she saw blood seep from the cut on Maura's neck.

_He knew it would hurt me._ Jane stood up from her chip covered couch and walked slowly to the front door. She glanced back over her shoulder to see the mess she'd made with her 'dinner', smirking at the thought of Maura saying how much of a non-dinner dinner it really was, before grabbing her gun and keys and opening the door.

_Because Maura's mine._

Maura sat at her kitchen counter, a glass of red wine sitting in front of her. She ran her finger around its base and stared blankly ahead. She tried to ask herself questions in her head like 'why did I do this?' or 'what was I thinking?' but not even her mind felt like working properly. Every time she thought of the kiss, it gave her tingles and a strange sense of warmth and bitter cold at the same time.

If it was all about her, she would be skipping around the room singing some song from a romantic comedy, but it wasn't all about her. Jane was there and Jane was the one that she cared about... that she loved. She made Jane uncomfortable and no amount of sarcasm from the witty detective was going to ever cover up what happened and how shocked she was.

Maura took what could easily have been her hundredth deep breath after the incident to try and calm herself down, and still to no avail. She just wanted to make sure Jane was ok, but she didn't want to crowd her, so every time she reached for her phone, she'd walk around her house for a few minutes. The urge to call or even text Jane was so strong, she felt like she was going through withdrawal.

Maura reached for the phone, but didn't pick it up. She just hovered her itching fingers over it. Her fingers kept twitching, wanting to just pick it up. _Just do it!_ She sighed her surrender and picked up her phone. She started typing but froze after 'I'm sorry'.

_What else do I say? That I didn't mean to do it? But I did. I meant to. I wanted to... I want to._ Maura's train of thought was disrupted by what she thought was Bass moving around the kitchen. She slid off her stool and moved around to Bass who was still in the same place that he was when she fed him dinner. She straightened up with a confused look on her face.

The noise came again. She turned to her front door, knowing it came from that direction, but also knowing that it certainly didn't sound like a knock. It was more like a bump and a series of shuffling movements. Maura carefully made her way to the door, trying not to make any noise. She had a feeling of what, or rather who was on the other side, and so she didn't want to startle them.

When she got close enough, she peered out of the small glass panels beside the door and saw her. Jane was sitting against the door her elbows on her bent knees and her head in her hands. Maura's breath steamed up the glass, blocking her vision of Jane.

She stepped back slowly, a tear creeping out of the corner of her eye. Somehow not seeing Jane's face and not knowing what was etched upon it was a million times worse than actually seeing the pain on it. Maura stared at her feet as she walked back past Bass to the back door. She unlocked it and opened it. She stepped out in her bare feet, the cool night air making them go numb almost immediately.

The door gently closed behind her and she walked around to the front of her house. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater down as the evening's bite reached her bones. As she rounded the corner to see Jane, her Jane, in a pile of emotional mess against her front door, too afraid to even knock, her heart broke even more than it already was.

"Jane," she whispered. Jane picked up her head and strained her eyes to make out a blurry Maura. She sniffled as her cheeks began to burn in the night's cold air. Maura walked over to Jane and knelt down in front of her. She reached for Jane's hands, but the distressed detective pulled away. "Don't, Jane. I'm not going to do anything. I'm just going to get you inside and warm you up because if you stay out here, you'll get sick." Jane hesitated, then held her hands out for Maura to grab, and complied all the way back inside.

"Maura," she whispered through her more gravelly than usual voice.

"Yes, Jane?" Maura whispered in return as she sat next to Jane on her couch, a box of tissues in one hand and a blanket draped over her other arm. Jane waited until she had a few tissues in her hand and a warm blanket around her shoulders before answering.

"We're a couple, aren't we?"

"What?!" she responded in a stage whisper. She couldn't really believe that one kiss would make Jane think they were a couple. "Jane, one kiss doesn't make us -"

"No, Maur... Hoyt attacked you because he knew your death would hurt me." Maura frowned in confusion. Jane positioned herself so that she was facing the doctor. "Hoyt picked his victims so that the most fear could be inflicted on each person. He would attack one person while the other watched on... A couple, Maura! He attacked couples. He attacked us. To hurt me, he attacked you, because we're a couple."

"Jane, that doesn't mean we're a couple. That means we're very close. We care about each other; we love each other. And if you were ripped away from me, I wouldn't want to keep living, and I suppose Hoyt thought the same would apply for you." Jane slouched back into the couch's fluffy cushions. "But I don't want you to think about Hoyt now, Jane, or ever, because that part is over. He is dead, and you're alive. I'm alive. He lost, you won, and I kissed you."

Jane sat up straight again. "Maura! Don't!" She stood up, pushing the blanket off her shoulders, and walked ferociously to the front door.

"Jane!"

"No, Maura," she stopped and turned, pointing an accusing finger at Maura. "You don't get to tell me that I'm being irrational about this, and you don't get to tell me that I'm being stupid about this!"

"I'm not!" Jane dropped her finger and stared hard at her best friend. "I'm not saying that you're overreacting or being stupid, I'm not saying anything! I want to talk to you about this. Because it wasn't something that I just felt like doing in that moment. Every time you hold me, I want..." A tear made its way down her cheek. "I want to kiss you. I want to touch you. I want to tell you how much I love you and that every little crazy thing about you makes me happy and that Casey was a dickhead and so were all the other guys that you ever gave the time of day."

"Maura, stop!" Jane turned her back, growling at Maura it sounded like, heading to the door to make a very undignified exit. Maura was hot on her heels, however and as Jane reached for the door knob, Maura grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"No, you don't get to leave like this!" Jane turned back to face Maura's teary face.

"Yeah, this is my fault!"

"Yeah, it is! You made me fall in love with you! You had to be so perfect and kind to me. Maybe if you'd treated me like everyone else does, we wouldn't be here now!" Maura finished her rant by throwing Jane's arm away from her.

"You... Maura, I'm not your emotional crutch! It's not my fault that I'm me, and I can't stop you from loving me, but _you_ can stop yourself from kissing me, 'cause you just knew it would screw everything up!"

"God, Jane! Yes, I knew it would screw it up, but that doesn't mean I didn't hope that it wouldn't all go so wrong."

Across from Maura's house, sitting on her couch, staring at the open window, Angela heard her daughter and her best friend screaming at each other about love. She always knew theirs was a different friendship, that there was a special kind of love, but for it to all come out in such a hot mess as this was heart breaking.

"I hate you, Maura!"

_That's it._ Angela pushed off the couch, swung the door open and charged over to Maura's. She marched in until she could see the two women. "Jane Clementine, you do not hate Maura! She is the best thing that has ever happened to you and if you ruin this friendship, so help me!"

"Ma, butt out!" Angela was about to start up her anger again, but a quick glance to a broken Maura stopped her in her tracks. She tried to think of something to say that wouldn't make her daughter scream at her, but she was at a loss, so she just turned and left. Jane turned back to her best friend... the one she just told that she hated because she loved her. Now that she thought about it, it made no sense whatsoever.

"Maura," Jane started up again, but Maura had had enough and so she clamped her hand over Jane's overactive mouth. Jane tried to talk through Maura's delicate hand, but froze when it just clamped tighter, showing her that it wasn't that delicate. Maura looked up into Jane's eyes.

"Stop," she whispered. "Do you really hate me?" Jane shook her head. "Do you love me?" Jane tried to protest but that hand clamped again. "In one way or another, do you love me?" Jane nodded. "Then stop. Stop arguing and hold me." She removed her hand and Jane swallowed hard. She sniffled and then placed her hands on Maura's downcast shoulders. There was a nagging little feeling of fear in her chest that if she went slowly, Maura would surprise her with a kiss. She knew it was stupid, but she still pulled Maura against her quickly just in case.

One arm wrapped around her upper arm and down her back while the other held the doctor's head against her chest. Maura's arms snaked around Jane's waist, her fingers clinging to the baggy jumper that she was wearing. She could feel Jane was tense by the way she was breathing and she couldn't relax if Jane wasn't. "Jane... please..." Jane breathed in deeply, bringing some of Maura's scent with it, immediately easing when it reached her head. She let go of Maura, to which she received a small whine.

She bent her knees and slid her arms under Maura's, burying her tear covered face into Maura's neck. Maura wrapped her arms around Jane's neck and breathed in the brunette's lavender scent just the same. Jane began to back up, but still held onto Maura, making the doctor come with her. When her back hit the wall, Jane began to slide down it. Maura's arms relinquished their hold, one hand moving to Jane's shoulder as the other moved down Jane's back, moving her to the side.

They moved to the ground together then settled; Jane's back against the wall with Maura nestled under her left arm. The blonde's arms were wrapped around Jane's waist, her head resting on the detective's strong chest, the gentle drumming of the brunette's heartbeat making it hard for her to keep her eyes open. Her knees were tucked under Jane's bent one, making them fit together like a puzzle.

A puzzle, indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

When Jane awoke, she found herself on Maura's couch, a fuzzy blanket draped lightly over her legs. She arched her back and let out a groan as she tried to wake her mind up. She could remember her eyes stinging from tears as Maura helped her stand up from the wall on which they had fallen asleep against the night before, and she could remember being guided to the couch and then flopping down onto her back before Maura untied her shoes and removed them.

It did annoy the doctor so that the detective sometimes kept her shoes on while she slept.

Jane remembered other things as well, but wasn't entirely sure if they were real or her imagination. She rubbed her eyes of their sleep as she sat up and looked around the empty living room.

It was still mainly dark outside, the sun only just beginning to shine over the rooftops of Boston. Loose strands of hair were tucked behind her ears as she swung her legs off the side of the couch. She wriggled her toes inside of her socks, and bent them down against the carpet to crack them. She didn't know what to do; she wanted to wander around the house in her socks, but she knew Maura wouldn't be up yet, and waking her up early on her day off would be quite inconsiderate.

But she also had to pee... badly. She pushed off of the couch and shuffled her way to the downstairs toilet.

Maura was awake. She'd been awake for most of the night after she helped Jane to the couch. She could've easily turned her mind back off, but somehow she knew that would be unfair because Angela probably wasn't sleeping.

So she called her. She apologised for the fight, reassured her (multiple times) that she and Jane were still friends... and told her about the kiss. She wanted Angela to hear the whole story from her, rather than finding out about it sometime down the line, ending up being hurt by it. They had talked about it for hours, finally hanging up around 4am.

From that point onward, Maura had not stopped thinking, and every time she allowed herself to relax, her mind wandered back to kissing Jane. She was getting a little sick and tired of not even being able to trust her _own_ mind to help her move past it.

She heard Jane get up and move to the toilet, so she decided to come down stairs. She'd only gotten half way before she heard the toilet flush and Jane come back into the living room. She continued down the stairs slowly, and quietly, and stopped at the bottom few steps. She sat so she could still hear Jane, but didn't have to see her, and thought some more.

She was jump-started out of her thoughts, however, when Jane passed by the bottom of the stairs in a bit of a daze. _Just wandering,_ Maura decided. "Morning, Jane."

"Jesus! Maura!" Jane shrieked as she threw herself up against the wall opposite Maura.

"I'm sorry, Jane," she apologised through her chuckles. Jane joined her in a well-needed laugh. "How did you sleep?"

Jane shrugged, "ok, I guess. What about you?"

"I didn't get much. I was talking to your mother." Jane sighed, as Maura looked back at her feet.

"Oh," Jane whispered as she made her way to sit next to Maura on the step below her. "How did it go?"

Maura tilted her head and raised her eyebrows as she thought back on it. "Alright; I told her I'd kissed you."

Jane screwed her face up in expectation. "And?"

"She was ok," Maura answered as she stared blankly at the wall. Something told Jane that it wasn't just 'ok'. It may be ok now, but at first it was probably very... odd to hear, especially over the phone at 3 in the morning. Jane leant back and rested her head on Maura's shoulder, joining Maura in her blank-wall staring.

Maura took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, and Jane followed. She then turned her head inwards, so her forehead was pressed against Maura's neck. Suddenly, something occurred to her. "Did I do this last night?"

"Yes," Maura answered simply.

"When?"

"Last night." Jane pinched Maura in the side, wiping the slight smirk off her face. "Ow! When you were on the couch." Jane stayed silent waiting for Maura to continue. "I'd just taken your shoes off-"

"Thanks for that."

"You're welcome. And I moved up to sit on my knees near your head while I pulled the blanket over your shoulders, and you rolled over, and did this." She motioned with her hand.

"What did you do?"

"I let you," Maura stated after a slight pause. "When you'd fallen asleep, I kissed your forehead and went to bed."

"Thank you, Maura."

The doctor smiled gently to herself before she realised something. "You're quite an affectionate person when you're sleepy." Jane chuckled to herself. "Are you sleepy now?"

"No. Just sorry." Maura rested her cheek on Jane's wild hair and closed her eyes, letting Jane know that it was ok. Jane stifled a yawn as she tucked her knees up and pressed harder into Maura. "Maybe I'm a little tired."

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Maura asked as Jane sat up. She just nodded as she covered another yawn. Maura agreed that going to bed sounded nice. "Do you want to go back to the couch or the guest room?"

Jane shook her head and looked up slowly at the blonde. "Can I lie beside you?" Maura was surprised by the question, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy. She smiled and nodded, before turning to make her way back upstairs. The sound of Jane's footsteps behind her was very calming and comforting.

She pushed her door open to her dark bedroom and waited for Jane to walk through before following and closing it behind her. She quietly slipped back into her side of the bed and waited for the bed to dip when Jane got in. She waited a while before opening her eyes and looking up to Jane's dark figure. "Jane?"

"Do you promise, Maura?" Maura got up onto her elbow and pulled back the covers for Jane. She knew what Jane was asking.

"I promise, Jane." She tapped Jane's side of the bed and waited for her to get in before lying back down. She pushed her pillow under her head so she could still see the figure of her friend beside her. "Not unless you kiss me first." She enjoyed the little chuckle from Jane's direction, but in all honesty, she hoped Jane would.

The light began to peek through Maura's curtains a few hours later. Maura was still in a deep and peaceful slumber, but it woke Jane fairly quickly. She'd already had her fair share of naps and sleeps, so the early morning rays of sunlight told her that she'd slept enough.

The warm glow caught Maura's hair and gave her morning mess an angelic touch. _Gah_, Jane thought, _more poetic thoughts!_ She rolled onto her right side so that she didn't have to crane her neck to stare at Maura. She studied her breathing, the way her lip twitched when there was an itch, the way her brow furrowed when she dreamt.

"What must it be like to be you?" she whispered. "Pretty awesome if you've got me." She smiled despite herself, knowing that that was hardly the reason why Maura was so wonderful. Of course, Maura had learnt a lot from Jane and how to act more "normal", but the doctor's always unpredictable, always quirky personality was the real reason that Jane loved her so much.

Maura made the sly detective want to be better, stronger and yes, kinder. It didn't always seem like it, but she did try to do Maura proud.

Jane watched silently as her best friend slept, calmly and beautifully. _How can someone sleep beautifully?_ Jane wondered. It didn't matter how much she wondered, it just was. Maura just brought grace and elegance and a sense of life to everything she did... even if it was just sleep.

As the sun seeped into the room more, Maura's skin began to absorb the same glow her hair had. It made her skin look as soft as a feather and as golden as a beach in summer. Jane was curious as to how her cheek felt under her fingertips, knowing that the last time she stroked them they were sticky from dried tears.

She supported herself with her right arm tucked under her chest, and carefully reached over to Maura. Her fingers tingled with anticipation; why, she did not know, but it made her destination all the more intriguing. Her fingertips were mere millimetres away from stroking Maura's cheek when someone knocked at the front door downstairs.

Jane jerked her hand away and sat up. Maura grumbled something under her breath... probably cursing whoever it was that disturbed her sleep, so Jane slipped out of the bed and the room and opened the door herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane unlocked the door and opened it to reveal Frankie, who was shocked to see Jane.

"Janie? What you doing here?"

"Uuummmm... hanging out with Maura; what are you doing here?"

"I...ah..." Frankie scratched the back of his neck then cleared his throat. "I came over to talk to Maura."

"Why?"

"About why you were so weird yesterday." Jane chuckled to herself. Her baby brother just couldn't leave her life alone... a little like another Rizzoli she knew.

"Hang on, you mean Ma hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?" Now he was really interested. If Angela hadn't told him anything in "confidence", then it really must be a secret.

"Nothing," Jane dismissed with a smirk. "You want to come in?"

"Janie!" He whined as he passed her into Maura's entrance hall. "Tell me!"

"Really, Frankie, it's no big deal."

In this time of sibling discussion, Maura had made her way out of bed, missing Jane's comfort, and hearing the two Rizzolis, joined them in the living room.

"Janie! It's not 'no big deal'!"

"We just kissed Frankie, that's all." Suddenly both sets of eyes were on her, and she felt the heat. She turned to Jane. "You hadn't told him, had you?" Jane shook her head slowly, the overwhelming expression of '...crap!' on her face not wavering one bit.

"You kissed? Jane!?"

"Whoa... Frankie, she kissed me."

"You kissed her?"

"Yes," Maura answered like a child in trouble.

"Huh." Jane and Maura glanced at each other with scepticism, then back to Frankie who proceeded to explain the 'huh'. "Well, Tommy and I figured if you liked a Rizzoli for real it would be one of us. Not Jane."

"What do you mean 'for real'?" Jane enquired.

"Well, we knew you two were close, and it's no secret that you act like a couple, but we thought you liked guys."

"Wait, we don't act like a couple!" Frankie threw her a look, wondering how she could be such a great detective, but also be so oblivious to things going on right in front of her. She turned to Maura. "Do we?"

"Well, Jane. I suppose we do sometimes."

"What times?"

"Well, we have sleepovers."

"'Cause, we're friends."

"You save me from serial killers."

"'Cause I'm a cop."

"And then give me a really long hug afterwards."

"I'm a... nice... cop." She answered, her bravado waning.

"Ok, Janie. I got one for you." Frankie walked over to the couch. "When you two sit on a couch this big," he outstretched his arms showing the length of it. "But sit right here." He slammed his hands down right next to each other in the middle of the back of the couch.

"Jane, we do."

"I don't mean to."

Maura quickly walked over to Jane and held her hands. "It's not a bad thing. I like it."

"Couple!" Frankie exclaimed throwing his hands into the air.

"Frankie!" Jane whined.

"I'm going to see Ma." Maura tugged on Jane's hands to stop her from sending him on his way with a snide remark. Jane took a deep breath in to relax herself.

"Better." Maura stated. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure." Jane let go of Maura's hands so that she could go to the kitchen. The detective took residence on one of the stools at the counter and watched happily as Maura made Saturday breakfast for the two of them.

Maura started by feeding Bass some strawberries, but she saved one for Jane. She chopped it in two and held one half out for Jane. "Open." Maura instructed, so Jane opened her mouth, then closed it when she tasted the sweetness of the juicy fruit. She started chewing, but stopped after a few bites to talk.

"This is couple-y, isn't it?" She swallowed.

"Yes." Maura answered cheerily before holding out the other half for Jane to take. She opened her mouth, smiling, and waited for Maura to pop it into her mouth. She teased for a bit, but eventually popped it in. Jane smiled a big toothy grin when she'd finished, the redness of the strawberry coating her front teeth. Maura chuckled to herself; the image of little Janie Rizzoli coming through a little.

Jane put her knife and fork down and used her finger to wipe up the remaining maple syrup on her plate that had spilled over her pancakes. Maura smiled as she rinsed her plate and waited for Jane to finish. When she had, she handed it to Maura and sucked on her fingers to get every last bit of sugary syrup. "Do you want anything else?"

"No, thanks. I'm good." Maura nodded to herself once and then headed out of the kitchen.

"I'm going to make the bed. I have some spare clothes of yours up there, so if you come up in 10 minutes, I should be dressed too." Maura waited for Jane to respond, but the childish detective was still sucking her sticky fingers, so she smiled and made her way upstairs.

Once Jane was satisfied in her quest for leftover syrup, she washed her hands and flopped onto the couch. She flicked the T.V on and settled for a channel showing old Looney Tunes cartoons. She laughed at each one, just as she had when she was a child; Bugs Bunny outwitting Elma Fudd, Road Runner thwarting Wile E. Coyote, and Sylvester stalking his prey, Tweetie Pie. She must have sat there watching for at least 20 minutes before she realised that Maura hadn't come down yet.

She turned the T.V off and headed upstairs. "Maura?" she asked as she approached the blonde's door. It was slightly ajar, so she gently pushed it open. What she saw gave her the giggles. Maura was flat out asleep across her bed. She must've been reaching over to smooth it out and sleep had overcome her.

Jane bit her lips to stop herself from laughing out loud, and tiptoed over to her very tired friend. She began to pull back the covers again until they reached Maura, so she placed her hand on Maura's back and rubbed it gently, trying to wake her up. "C'mon, Maur." The blonde rolled herself slightly, but stopped when she reached her side.

Jane pushed her the rest of the way over, then grabbed her hands, intending to help her sit up, but Maura was playing dead weight. Jane leaned over the doctor's shaking-from-giggles body, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Put your arms around my neck." Maura complied, sort of. Jane worked with what she got and slipped her hands under Maura's shoulder blades and pulled her body up. She spun her around so her head was above her pillow and let her down gently.

The covers were still bunched up under Maura's hips, so Jane tapped one telling her to lift them. She did, and Jane slipped them down and then pulled them back over Maura's legs. She tucked them under the blonde's arms like she were a little girl, then bent over to kiss Maura's cheek.

Maura was being cheeky, however and turned her head at the last second. Jane's lips landed softly on Maura's and both women's eyes shot open and they pulled back. "Jane, I'm so sorry! I thought you were going to kiss my forehead. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh."

Maura sat up a little straighter. "Did you just -"

"Shhh." A little straighter still.

Jane's focus was still on Maura's lips, and Maura knew it. "Jane..." The brunette looked up into the blonde's eyes, a sense of need being projected from them. They didn't stay there long before returning to Maura's lips. "Kiss me," she whispered. Jane's eyes shot back up again, still holding the same look. She edged a little closer to the doctor, her gaze shifting back to her lips. One more glace at Maura's eyes and she'd do it.

Maura's eyes held the same mixed look of need and want, and it grew stronger the closer that Jane got. Jane's focus went back to the blonde's lips as she outstretched her long finger and ran the nail down the length of Maura's jaw. When she reached her chin, she tilted it upwards and moved in. Her eyes closed as the barest sensation of skin touched her lips and she recognised it as Maura's bottom lip.

She continued to move in until she was able to suck Maura's lip in between her own. She could feel the sudden rush of adrenaline as her heartbeat raced, so she pulled back. Maura latched onto Jane's waist before she could go too far and dug her fingertips in, bringing Jane back to her. She slid her hands up Jane's sides when their lips reconnected, tickling the tender skin beneath.

Jane ran her hand behind Maura's head, tugging gently on her hair to tilt her head back. She turned her head so that they were buried in each other's necks before opening her mouth for Maura. The blonde gently ran her tongue along Jane's top lip, her hands reaching around the detective's muscular body, but just as she was about to slip her tongue inside Jane's mouth, the brunette pulled back, completely this time.

"Jane..."

"I have to feed Jo Friday."

"Ha...what?"

"She's probably hungry... not that that was what I was thinking about what we were kissing, just... we kissed. I kissed you."

"I asked you to." Maura offered as a way for Jane not to feel guilt or anything.

"I wanted to." Maura smiled and Jane smiled back, but she really did have a hungry dog waiting back at her place. "I have to go Maura."

"I know, but... call me."

"I won't," Maura's face fell, "'cause I'll be back here in an hour." Jane smiled as Maura's face lit up again. "Can I bring Jo?"

"Of course, Jane. I'll see you later."

"Yeah." Jane turned and left the room. She skipped down the stairs, her head buzzing. She slipped on her shoes and picked up her keys, phone and gun. She looked back over her shoulder, checking if Maura had followed her, but she hadn't so she opened the door.

She got into her car, but before starting it up she looked at herself in the rear view mirror and smiled to herself.

"Wow!"

**A/N Hey guys! thanks for the reviews; they're really encouraging :) I'm on holidays atm, and interent is scarce, but I'll try to get y'all some more chapters soon :) xo**


	6. Chapter 6

It was always fun, Jane thought, to watch Jo Friday bounce around when the detective got home and then go straight into serious stealth mode, on the hunt for a suitable patch of grass as soon as they exited Jane's apartment.

A few minutes of searching and assessing the general area, and Jo's bladder was empty and she was tugging on her lead for Jane to take her back up. Once she was unclipped, she frolicked around the kitchen until Jane fed her breakfast, then she was fine for the day. She'd snuggle up to Jane's side as the brunette slouched on the couch with a beer in hand at night, but during the day she felt tougher, and so she would take it upon herself to scout out their home now and then; being the guard dog and all.

Jane smiled to herself as Jo settled in a patch of sunlight and appeared to fall back into a very comfortable sleep. _I need a shower,_ Jane thought as she could feel her own body wanting to creep back into sleep. She turned to head to her room, but at that moment, her phone on the kitchen counter rung, so she took her usual big strides over to answer it.

She casually looked at the caller ID, just like always; but this time she froze. She breathed in deeply, trying to calm her racing heart, but it was just not going to happen; and she knew she had to pick up, so she swallowed her fear and answered.

"Hello, Mrs. Frost." Her voice was shaky and her hands were sweaty, and she could feel her eyes begin to burn with tears. _Shit._

"Hello, Jane. How are you?" The other woman's voice was still shaky, but not as much as Jane's. Maybe she'd been sitting by the phone for hours preparing herself for the call, and now that it was upon them, she seemed more 'ready'.

"I...I'm fine," Jane managed. She was a little surprised by how... normal Camille sounded. Her face dropped to a concerned look, however, when she asked how Camille was in return.

"Oh, I'm well. I was just calling because..." The older woman paused to calm herself. Jane could hear Camille on the other end trying to hold herself together. _Uh oh._ "Because today is the anniversary of the day Barry became a detective." Jane's eyes darted up to the calendar on her fridge and saw that it was.

"Wow, you're right." Jane looked back at the kitchen counter in front of her. "I was so happy to have him as my partner." She sniffled as she felt her eyes well up. She heard a sniffle at the other end as well. A part of Jane was already counting down until the two women burst into tears, which she knew would not be very long now.

"He was so honoured to be yours too, Jane. He was so lucky to be taught and guided by you." Camille shifted on the edge of her couch as she tried to hold back the flood of tears she could feel coming. "You were his hero."

_Oh, my god. I'm gonna cry now._ "His hero? In a lot of ways, he was mine. He always knew how to make me laugh when I was down, and he was the most loyal cop I've ever met. He was so brave." Jane swiped her cheek with the back of her free hand, the old tears being renewed by a new wave.

"Maybe if he was just a little bit less brave?" Jane's eyes shut tightly as she tried to block the memory of when she found out how Frost died from entering her mind. "I remember the day he was promoted; he called me up and he was so happy. I was so proud of him. I will always be proud of him. And he told me of his new partner: a detective who was so badass, he reckoned she could give Chuck Norris a run for his money."

"Ha!" Jane laughed at that. "I'm not sure about that!" The sight of her going up against Chuck Norris was quite frightening, even if she was badass.

"He looked up to you even before he was your partner. He remembered just being intimidated to step into homicide 'cause he knew you were there. And then when he became your partner, I think he thought he'd end up as badass as you!" The two women shared a laugh over the memory of something so very Barry. A short silence filled the line before Jane broke it.

"I miss him. So much. I miss him every day."

"I know you do, Jane. And that's why I wanted to talk to you. You were his best friend." Jane stayed silent as Camille's words sunk in. "I miss him too." Camille looked up at her wall clock and saw the time. "Oh, Jane, I've got to get to work."

"I understand, but hey, next time you're in Boston, let's have lunch."

"At the Dirty Robber?"

"Of course. Bye Camille.

"Goodbye Jane."

Jane placed her phone down gently on the counter, the silence touching her like a ghost. She breathed out heavily, letting her tears burst through, making Jane slump onto her counter, her back shuddering as she re-mourned the loss of her friend and partner. She pulled back off the counter, her back turning to the cupboards. She slipped down them until she was securely hidden in the corner of her kitchen, the tears forever flowing.

Bass bumped around the kitchen as Maura busied herself with cleaning. She didn't know how long she'd been dusting, vacuuming and sweeping for, humming peacefully to herself before she got a call from Jane asking her to come over.

She'd sounded less than happy, so Maura quickly packed up her cleaning supplies, and drove over to Jane. She let herself in and scanned the dim and empty lounge room and kitchen before calling out. "Jane?"

"Down here." The little voice from deep within the kitchen made Maura worry just a little. She closed the door behind her and set her bag down on the couch. She made her way over to the kitchen to find a very tired, very tear-covered Jane; her head resting on the cupboard doors, her knees brought up tightly to her chest.

"Jane, what happened?"

"Frost's mother called."

"Oh, Jane."

"I just had to cry." Maura peered back over to Jo, still asleep on the floor in the light of the window, then back to Jane, still in her clothes from last night.

"How long have you been down here?" she asked as she squatted down in front of Jane, her hands on the tired detective's knees.

"Um... about an hour. Maybe more." She sounded exhausted, so Maura deduced that she'd spent the majority of that time crying.

"Oh, Jane." Maura reached over and tilted Jane's head up to look at her. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her cheeks had a sheen on them from the tears. "Hop up for me." She helped Jane stand and wrapped an arm around her waist to help her to her room. "You need a shower." Jane let out a small laugh. "What?"

"That's what I was going to do just before Camille called." Maura sat Jane down on her bed and knelt down to take off her shoes. Jane slouched again and her head lolled forward, the tips of her hair dangling in front of Maura's face.

When Jane's shoes were removed, Maura tucked Jane's wild hair behind her ears, lifting her head up in the process. Maura used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away any excess tears that still remained on Jane's face. Jane closed her eyes and let her head fall into Maura's hands. She rolled her head forward, still pressing it into Maura's wrist letting her know that she wanted a hug.

Maura sat up on her knees, her tummy pushing on Jane's knees until they spread, and she moved in to hold Jane. Her left hand wrapped around Jane's weak neck, her fingers weaving through Jane's hair while her other arm dropped down between them so she could snake it around her waist. Jane's arms merely clung onto Maura, her hands scrunching her shirt in her hands. She rested her forehead on Maura's shoulder and sniffled as the last tears made their way out.

Maura's fingertips drew soothing circles on Jane's back and she could gently feel the brunette's breathing slow down to the point that she was almost asleep. Maura tapped her back telling her to wake up. "Come on, Jane. Wake up."

"I don't want to." Maura pulled back and waited for Jane to look at her before speaking.

"Yes, you do. You take a shower and I'll wait for you out with Jo and then you can both come over for the day. Ok?"

"Ok." Jane threw a smile on at the end to show that she was truly fine. She stood up with Maura for one last hug before she went into the bathroom. All of a sudden she was filled with something; an emotion that told her to cling to Maura and not let her go. It came so strong, but she felt so weak. She slid down Maura's frame until she hit the bed, her arms still wrapped around Maura's waist. She pressed her forehead into Maura's soft, fuzzy, sweater-covered stomach and dug her fingers into the doctor's back.

Maura stood with her hands on Jane's shoulders, the sensation of the detective's warm breath reaching through to her skin sending tingles through her body. "Jane?" The brunette's only response was a deep inhale of Maura's scent, her arms clinging on tighter to her body. "Jane, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just don't want you to go."

"I'm only going out to the lounge room, Jane," she said with a slight chuckle.

"No, don't leave me."

"But you have to have a shower."

"I know, and I will."

"Jane?" Maura felt slightly confused. Was Jane asking her to have a shower with her or just hold her hand until she was in the bathroom? She tilted Jane's head up towards her, her hair falling back gracefully over her shoulders.

"Just stay with me." Maura tilted her head to the side, still needing more clarification. "Follow me," Jane instructed as she stood up and grabbed Maura's hand.

She led her into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

The door clicked behind Maura, her hand still holding Jane's. The detective moved further into the bathroom in a sort of daze that was concerning to the doctor. Her face was blank of emotion, her eyes only half open. Her mouth was parted only just and her breathing came out unevenly. Maura stumbled after Jane; still confused as to why Jane was suddenly so... intimate? "Jane, what are we doing?"

"Having a shower." Jane let go of Maura's hand and started to step into the shower, still fully clothed, before Maura reached out after her. Maura's hand grasped tightly onto Jane's wrist, pulling her back towards her.

"Jane, you're still dressed. You'll get your clothes wet and they'll drip all over the floor when you get out."

"Then help me out of them."

"What?" Maura took a step back, her face now truly etched with confusion. Yes, she wanted to undress Jane and slip into the shower with her, feeling her warm, wet skin against her own, but not when Jane was as out of it as she was. "Jane, I'm not go-"

Her sentence was cut short by Jane pushing her body backwards and pinning her against the door, their mouths only a whisper apart. Maura opened her mouth to continue her argument, but she had suddenly completely lost her train of thought. Jane moved in, without thinking, and moulded their lips together. She took the doctor's bottom lip between her own, tugging gently as she took a deep breath in through her nose.

Maura tried to keep her eyes open, knowing that this was the only chance she had if she wanted to stay in control, but the harder Jane's body pressed against her own, the quicker it was becoming a losing battle. She finally surrendered, her hands coming up to support herself on Jane's hips as she fell into the kiss.

Their lips moved smoothly against each other's, their tongues and teeth teasing to try more. Jane's arm slipped behind Maura's head and held herself up against the door as the other pulled their bodies even closer together. Maura's hands played gingerly with the baggy material of Jane's sweater; slowly pulling the hem up her sides until she could slip her hands underneath to caress the tender skin of Jane's waist.

It tickled a little and Jane gasped at the soft touch. Maura opened her mouth to the brunette, diving into the passion of the moment. She pressed her fingers more firmly into Jane's skin as she tugged the detective's hips against her own, needing more pressure to release her urges. Jane pulled away from Maura's delicious lips to line her jaw in tender kisses before travelling further south to her neck. She dragged her teeth along the soft, slightly freckled skin and pressed her lips to Maura's throat to enjoy the vibrations of her moan.

Even as Jane moved down her body, Maura never let her hands leave Jane's sides, the tips of her fingers gradually pulling Jane's sweater up the further south the detectives wandering lips went. Jane's kisses bypassed Maura's chest, to which she was a little miffed about, but it was soon forgotten as the brunette rested on her knees and gently pulled Maura's own sweater up to expose her soft tummy. She pressed kisses to it as her hands snaked around the blonde's upper thighs, eliciting a gasp every now and then. The tight leggings she was wearing did nothing to slow Jane down as every curve of her gorgeous ass was put on display for Jane's pleasure.

Jane dragged her fingertips teasingly over the roundness of Maura's ass to the elastic of the waistband. She dipped her fingers under it and began to tug down. She looked up, her chocolate eyes meeting in a heavy lock with warm hazel ones as she said, "well, if you're not going to undress me, then I'll have to undress you." Maura sighed in relief as she melted in the detective's touch. Jane had only gotten the waistband half way down Maura's ass before Maura's spoke up.

"Jane..."

"What is it, baby?" Maura sighed exasperatedly as that one word made it so much harder for Maura to say what she was going to.

"We need to stop."

"Why?" Jane whispered against Maura's tummy before pressing a soft kiss to it, just below her naval.

"Because you're emotional right now," she cringed knowing that Jane most likely wouldn't like to be referred to as emotional. "And I don't want you to regret anything."

"Maura," Jane started as she stood back up, never relinquishing the close proximity of their bodies. "I'm not asking you to sleep with me. I just need you to stay with me."

"In the shower?" Maura asked puzzled.

"Yeah," Jane let out with a chuckle. "I don't know... I just... I want to feel you beside me. Holding me."

"You do realise we'll be naked, right?"

"Well...um... I suppose we could keep our underwear on." Maura nodded as she laughed to herself quietly. _No way was Jane Rizzoli this couple-y this quickly_, she thought to herself. Jane leaned in and kissed Maura sweetly on the cheek, but when she leaned back she had _that_ look in her eye. She was still going to have fun undressing Maura. She kissed her way back to the doctor's neck and suckled it softly as her fingers found their way back to the waistband of Maura's leggings.

Maura let her hands resume their task of pulling Jane's sweater up until it reached just below Jane's breast. She slipped her hands to the front of the garment and slid it slowly over, her fingers gracing teasingly at the cup of Jane's bra. Jane pulled back with a gasp to see Maura with just that same look in her eye. _Two can play that game, detective_, she thought. She used that moment to pull the sweater over Jane's head before tossing it onto the vanity.

Jane, suddenly aware that she was just in a bra, made quick work of removing Maura's leggings. Maura used Jane's shoulder as support as the brunette bent over to help Maura step out of her pants, leaving them on the floor. She traced her hand up the outside of Maura's exposed thigh, her other hand slipping underneath the blonde's own sweater, squeezing gently at her waist. Jane's fingertips slowed down at the top of Maura's thigh as she brought them over the blonde's sexy lace panties. She backtracked momentarily when her fingers had left them to dip back under their waistband too. Jane shook her head to break herself out of it and continued her hands up Maura's torso, her wrists pushing the sweater upwards as her palms pressed against the doctor's skin to create as much friction as possible. She didn't stop when the bunched up sweater reached Maura's bust, however; she only kept sliding her hands up Maura's soft skin, pushing her arms up above her head so the sweater would follow.

Once Maura was standing in her bathroom in only her matching underwear, Jane turned her own focus to her sweat pants. She pushed them over her hips and let them fall to the ground and stepped backwards towards her shower, her hand slipping into Maura's to make her follow. She turned to face her shower before stepping in.

Maura took a deep, steadying breath before following. The two women were now encased in a small space with nothing else but each other to hold on to. Jane turned the water on, which came out ice cold at first, making both of them squeal like school girls, but once the temperature started to even out, it became a lot easier to fall back into the moment.

Jane stuck her head under the spray, the warm water seeping through her messy hair to her tired scalp, instantly soothing it. Her hand was still holding Maura's so she gently tugged her towards the spray. Jane stepped aside as best she could to allow Maura to stick her own head under the water. She did only for a short while before she stepped back out and ran her hand over her face, swiping away all the water that was dripping there.

Neither woman was terribly concerned as to how soaked their underwear was getting, nor that they were so close together in just said underwear after a rather intimate make out session. They just wanted to stand with each other under the warm spray of the shower, their hands locked together as the rest of the bathroom steamed up.

They didn't know why they wanted to be there in that moment which was quite odd for the both of them but the feeling in the pits of their stomachs felt the same as wanting to jump into a warm cushion covered bed on a rainy day: it was just comfortable and warm. Jane turned towards the tiles, pressing her forehead against their coolness, her right hand coming up to support herself against the wall. She let her hand fall from its hold in Maura's hand, but Maura immediately turned to Jane and snaked her arms around the taller woman's waist, her head resting in the dip between Jane's shoulder blades. She breathed in heavily, then turned her head to plant a kiss on the wet skin beneath her.

Jane's free hand came up to cover Maura's which was resting on her taught abs, her pointer finger drawing lazy circles on her skin. She squeezed the hand gently before turning in the other woman's hold. Maura lifted her head as Jane spun, resting it on Jane's shoulder when she had finished moving. She tilted her head upwards and left a soft kiss on the brunette's neck as she dug her fingertips into her back.

"I love you, Jane." It was said with no other meaning than just that, letting Jane know that she would be there for her whenever she needed her to be and she wouldn't ever leave her.

"I know. I love you, too," she whispered into Maura's damp hair before resting her cheek atop her head and closing her eyes.

**A/N Hey guys! Thank you so much for the ridiculously nice and encouraging reviews :) It really is a pleasure writing for y'all! xo**


	8. Chapter 8

Jane stepped out of the shower, her eyes following the water trail to the door. Maura had hopped out to let Jane relax by herself so that she could find some clothes to wear. She had thought it was funny and kind of Maura to want to wear her clothes instead of putting her only slightly damp clothes back on, but she let her.

She wiped the mirror to look at her reflection. She smiled slightly at her flushed skin, knowing that it wasn't just because of the hot water. She heard Maura moving around outside the door, so she wrapped her towel around herself and opened the door.

"Hi," she whispered, leaning against the door frame. Maura looked up and smiled. "Did you find something to wear?"

"Yes; I just grabbed your Boston Homicide shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Is that ok?"

Jane delayed for a second, enjoying the sight of Maura in her Homicide shirt. "Yeah." She also noticed that the doctor wasn't wearing a bra.

"Did you still want to come by today?" Jane nodded before looking down at herself.

"Just let me get dressed first."

"No, I think you should come over like that," Maura suggested before heading towards the door to head out to the kitchen.

"Maur-" Jane started, a little bit surprised, and a little bit intrigued. Maura just shot her a look to show that she was kidding, but even then, Jane wasn't too sure. She watched as Maura cheekily left the room, then turned back to the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and removed her towel to properly dry herself, more than she probably had to before, because her short banter with Maura had added a certain wetness to her.

"Jane?" Maura knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" came from the other side.

"You mother just called and she said she's having some trouble with the plumbing, so I'm just going to pop home, ok?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I can throw your... um... clothes in the dryer and bring them over when they're dry, if you like?"

"That sounds great. I'll see you in a bit."

"Ok...and Maura?" she asked, popping her head out the door.

"Yes, Jane?" Maura moved closer to the door and leaned against the frame so that her face was only inches from Jane's.

"Thank you." Maura smiled, then leant in to kiss Jane's nose. Jane wriggled it afterwards, causing Maura to giggle, which caused Jane to laugh as she closed the door.

Jane closed her front door behind her, bending down to remove Jo's leash, then walked over to her pile of clean clothes to fold. She picked up Maura's lacy underwear, smirking to herself as she held it up with her thumbs tucked into the elastic, in rather the same way she had a few hours ago.

Suddenly, breaking her from her dirty thoughts, there was a knock at the door. She tossed down the delicate underwear, slightly frustrated, only to have her face flush pink when it was Frankie at the door.

"'Sup, sis?" he asked, pushing his way through and over to the kitchen counter.

"Uh... not much. No...no, just doing laundry."

"Kissed Maura lately?"

"You mean, in the last few hours?" Jane shook her head to bring her back into 'private big sister Jane' mode. "You know what? It's none of your business if we've kissed or whatever." Frankie ignored her, just then noticing the pile of laundry with the very non-Jane pair of panties on top.

"Yeah, Jane; looks like you wear planning on 'whatever-ing' with the doctor... Were you gonna wear these?" He held the underwear up with two fingers, aiming an accusing look at Jane.

"Ugh, Frankie; I'd never wear those," Jane countered, snatching the panties back, walking back into the kitchen. "They're Maura's." She froze mid-stride, realising how what she said sounded. She spun around to a very shocked Frankie. "Frankie, I didn't-"

"Oh, my god! You and Maura did it!"

"No, Frankie! She came over and spilt water on her pants, so I offered to dry them and her underwear." Frankie's face fell for a moment, realising that that was a plausible explanation, but his eyes quickly latched onto a matching bra, buried in the laundry pile. He reached over and picked Jane's clothes off it.

"So... were you two having a water fight, or something?" He raised his eyebrows and held back a smirk, waiting for Jane to explain _that_.

Jane let out an exasperated sigh before leaning on her elbows on the counter, preparing to come clean. "Ok. Frost's mother called and it got me upset, so Maura came over to comfort me and we had a shower together. BUT!" she spoke up, so that Frankie wouldn't jump to any more conclusions. "We kept our underwear on, and so that is why Maura's lacy panties and her lacy bra and in my laundry pile, 'cause they got wet, and I offered to dry them so that she didn't have to either wear her wet underwear home, or have to carry them into her home to dry them, probably getting spotted by Ma in the process." Frankie stepped back as he saw Jane's eyes well up with tears.

"Jane, I'm sor-"

"Just go, Frankie. My friendship with Maura is not there for you to make fun of. She's my best friend, and I love her, and I don't need you or anyone else trying to make me feel guilty about it. And yes, I have kissed Maura in the last few hours since you found out, and it was good, so there." Frankie opened his mouth to speak, but Jane cut him off again. "Please, Frankie: go." Frankie closed his mouth and nodded, turning to head to the door. He looked back over his shoulder as he opened the door, looking Jane in the eyes.

"I am sorry."

"I know." He nodded once more, then walked out the door, closing it gently behind him.

Jane bowed her head between her arms, still resting on the counter. She took a few deep breaths, staying there for at least five minutes, giving Frankie enough time to leave, then picked herself up, grabbed Maura's clothes, her keys and her phone, and opened her door, tapping her thigh with her free hand for Jo to follow.

Jo skittered around on the back seat, obviously not used to it, as Jane folded Maura's clothes at the red lights, then placed them on the passenger seat beside her. Once she had finished, she placed them in a neat pile on her lap and clicked her fingers for Jo to jump to the front, before taking off when the light changed to green.

She pulled up into Maura's driveway just as the same gorgeous blonde stepped out, still wearing Jane's clothes, but thankfully with a bra on. She ushered Jane inside, conscious of how strange it looked to have her own clothes delivered to her door. Besides, Angela was only just around the corner.

"Thank you, Jane," Maura said sweetly as Jo rushed past her to bop noses with Bass in the kitchen.

"It's ok. Frankie came over just as I was folding them." She said it with a sarcastic tone, letting Maura know that it didn't go too well.

"Uh-oh," she whimpered, placing her clothes on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah. I told him that we kissed again _and_ showered together, so that's great."

"I'm so sorry, Jane."

"Stop it, Maura; it's not your fault." She walked over to the shorter woman and wrapped her arm around her. Maura leaned into the half-hug, enjoying the warm smell of a freshly-showered Jane.

"Wait," she suddenly started. "Which kiss did you tell him about?"

"I didn't specify... I actually didn't even say we'd only kissed once. I said something like, 'I have kissed Maura since you found out earlier today'." She finished with a shrug, making Maura giggle.

"So, as far as he knows, we could've kissed, say... ten times."

"Maura..."

"What?" she let out with a chuckle. Jane just sighed, retreating to the couch. Before she could get too far, Maura latched onto her arm and pulled her back to face her. Jane looked puzzled for a second, until Maura slid her hands down to hold Jane's. "I liked kissing you, Jane."

Jane tilted her head to the side as she gave Maura one of those special looks; the one's that only she got. "I liked kissing you, too." Maura smiled as she slid her arms under Jane's, as the brunette's arms went over and around her back. Maura's fingers scrunched into Jane's baggy sweater. She breathed in Jane's scent again, relaxing even further when she felt Jane nuzzle her hair.

She liked this Jane. The Jane that only she got to see. Her Jane.

She pressed her forehead to Jane's neck again, remembering their first kiss. Jane remembered it too, and got a funny tingly feeling in her tummy at the thought of Maura's lips against hers. Jane tilted her head, her face coming down in front of Maura's. Maura looked up at Jane, noticing a certain softness yet hunger in her eyes.

They were still holding each other closely, so their heads were turned to the side, their cheeks almost on each other's shoulder, their lips just touching. Maura moved closer, her top lip grazing Jane's bottom one. Their breaths came faster and hotter, burning up the lust dancing on the tips of their tongues. "Oh, Jane..." The taller woman pressed her lips together, but not before taking Maura's upper lip between them. Maura's lip closed around Jane's bottom lip, her tongue slipping out to slide gingerly across it.

Maura tilted her head back and pressed her chest against Jane's, eliciting a moan of delight from the other woman. She dug her fingernails into Jane's back through the thin material, dragging her hands up, before slipping down to run her hands along Jane's bare back. Her skin felt warm and cool, sticky but smooth, all at the same time. It intrigued Maura, making her want to touch more. Her hands travelled downwards, the tips of her fingers dipping under Jane's waistband.

Jane wanted Maura to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her, but she wanted to touch, hold and kiss Maura even more. She bent her knees, dropping down to kiss Maura's neck. She ran her tongue up along the blonde's throat, kissing and suckling it again when she reached her jaw. The doctor was quickly melting at the detective's touch. "Oh, Jane..."

"Jane!"

Angela's loud voice came booming from outside, practically ripping the two women's bodies apart, Jane's lips leaving Maura's neck with a mumbled 'oh, shit'. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and moved over to flop onto the couch, fumbling with the remote, trying to find the 'on' button, while Maura scurried to the kitchen to dab away Jane's remaining saliva with a hand towel. She spun around at the exact moment that Angela burst through the back door, calling Jane's name again.

"Oh, hi Ma," Jane said nonchalantly. Angela smiled over at Maura before moving to sit next to her daughter on the couch, planting a firm kiss on her temple. Maura blew a puff of air out and up to into her hair, puzzled, and slightly impressed, at Jane's ability to slip back into her usual self the second Angela stepped in. Little did she know, Jane's pulse was throbbing in her ears, her lips were tingling with the warmth of Maura's skin, and a warm sensation was settling between her thighs, which she was desperately trying to ignore.

**A/N: Hiya! More great reviews from you lovely fan-folk keep me going :) I realised while writing this chapter, that I have written two chapters in a row with our two lovely ladies kissing, so I'll try to further their relationship in the next chapter. It'll be hard though, 'cause I just love writing them kissing! Ok, I'm done... I hope you enjoy xo**


	9. Chapter 9

"Angela, can I get you anything?" Maura gushed from the kitchen, trying to bring back some normalcy, or at least distract her from Jane.

"Oh no, Maura honey; I'm fine. But... um... could I talk to Jane alone for a bit?"

"Of course," although she was a bit suspicious and a little worried, but she instantly calmed when she remembered that Jane _can_ lie. "I'll just do some cleaning upstairs." She shuffled towards the doorway, glancing at Jane the whole way. She was seated rigidly on the couch next to her mother, trying desperately to give Maura a smile that was natural. When the blonde had left the room, Jane positioned her body so that it was half facing Angela, half not.

"What's up, Ma?" Jane asked, as calmly and carefree as she could. She added a random shrug to try and add to the 'normal Jane' that she was trying to pull off. She knew her mother wasn't just going to talk about the weather or the gossip of late, and she hoped to God that Frankie hadn't squealed to their mother about something that he really shouldn't have.

"Well, I was talking to Maura yesterday and she said that something had upset you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok, and see if you wanted to talk about it."

Jane froze. Two things... she had been upset about two things: Maura suddenly kissing her, and "Frost. I just had one of those moments. I'm ok though. Maura was there for me."

"Mmhmm."

"'Mmhmm', what?"

"Nothing darling."

"That wasn't just a 'nothing' mmhmm; that was a 'I-don't-really-believe-you' mmhmm."

"Honestly sweetie, if that's all that was upsetting you, then I believe you."

"You don't, but whatever," Jane mumbled with a shrug of attitude as she faced away from her mother and slouched into the couch cushions.

"I do; besides, why would I think otherwise? It's not like your brother would talk to me."

Jane gasped and spun back around to Angela. "He _did_ talk; that little rat!"

"He didn't tell me anything, actually. He just kept giggling to himself when my back was turned, and saying something like, 'Jane's a cheeky one' under his breath." Jane pursed her lips. "Maura did tell me that you two had kissed."

"I know."

"But, Jane, if you've got something more to tell, I won't judge."

"Oh, I know you won't, but it's...sensitive." Angela looked confused for a second.

"You, dealing with something sensitive? I mean, Maura's sensitive, not you." Jane darted her eyes elsewhere other than her mother's eyes. Perhaps not her most subtle move; and Angela didn't miss it. "Jane." She dragged out the 'a' sound making strong Detective Rizzoli turn back into mischievous Janie Rizzoli who knew she was in trouble.

Jane turned her gaze slowly back to Angela, who was sternly watching her secretive daughter. "Ma?"

"Does your something 'sensitive' have something to do with Maura?"

"Maybe." _Good one, Janie!_

"Jane!"

"Ok, yes. Maura and I are sensitive."

"Jane!" Angela squeaked with a playful slap to Jane's knee. "I can't believe you!"

"We've only kissed so far, Angela," came a sweet little voice from the other side of the room. Angela's face became etched with utter surprise while Jane slapped her forehead to her hand, creating a loud noise; one Maura certainly understood. "I shouldn't walk into rooms in the middle of conversations."

Jane grumbled to herself in agreement while Angela still sat in shock. Finally she spoke up. "You kissed again?"

"Ha," Jane jested sitting up straight. "That's the same face Frankie pulled. But she kissed me, Ma."

"You kissed me the second time, which kind of became a third time too," Maura stated. A new wave of surprise swept over Angela's face as Jane shook her head in disbelief. "Sorry," Maura whispered before moving over to Jo. "I'm going to walk Jo, okay Jane."

"Yeah." Maura made haste as she quickly collected Jo's leash and a bag and slipped outside with the fuzzy bundle of joy, who totally oblivious of what was going on. "We can talk about this, Ma, if you want?"

Angela nodded, her expression changing to one that showed she was thinking. "Um... when did you two kiss... the first time?"

"Yesterday, in her office. She was upset about Barry, so I went down and it just happened."

"Was she good?"

"Ma!" Angela chuckled to herself as she wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"I'm ok with this Jane. You have the best friendship with Maura that I have ever seen. She sees a side of you that I'm sure I never get to see," Jane nodded in agreement. "And I'm sure you get a side of Maura's that no one else ever sees." Again, Jane nodded.

"She's my best friend, Ma, and I love her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I'm glad you finally realised that, darling." Jane shot her a look. "Oh, come on; you two do everything together. She's taught you things I'm pretty sure you never would have learnt otherwise, and it helps sometimes, am I right?"

"I suppose so. She does look ridiculously happy when I state a fact that she taught me years ago, 'cause she didn't actually think I was listening, but I was. I always listen to her, even if it's boring. She makes it... not boring." Angela nodded in contentment.

"And you have taught her things, correct?"

"Correct, Ma." Jane smiled to herself in pride, it seemed, at how she had opened Maura up to a totally new brand of things that she never even realised she didn't have; like a family that's always there, and a best friend. More than anything, Jane loved being Maura's best friend.

"And you are a part of each other's lives and if that is to... develop into something more, than I could not be happier." Angela finished of her spiel with a tight squeeze to Jane's shoulders, which the brunette snuggled into. She liked this feeling of happiness; especially the one Maura brought.

"Thanks, Ma," Jane whispered before leaning over to kiss her mother's cheek and bound up from the couch. Angela hopped up as well and, after giving Jane a proper hug, she exited back out to the guest house while Jane moved to the front door. She swung it open and stepped out moving to the end of Maura's drive. She looked up both ends of the street, finally spotting her best friend and her dog up near a light post to her left. She figured they'd still be a while, so she moved back to her car.

She hopped up to sit on the trunk of the car, her legs dangling off the edge. She swung them back and forth as she clasped her hands in her lap, waiting patiently for Maura to return. She turned her focus to the world around her instead, to pass the time. The sky was blue and bright; every lawn in the street was neatly mown and edged. It was all so neat and calming somehow.

It was a total contrast to Jane's messy habits, and it made her smile. Whereas if the owners let their grass grow too long, and grey clouds rolled in, making the area look haunted almost, the combination of Maura and a bit of mess never failed to make Jane giggle. A messy hair day (not that there were many of those), cushions scattered haphazardly on the couch, an unmade bed with a tired Maura lying amongst the sheets; they all made Jane just that little bit cheerier.

She loved professional Maura with her random facts consisting of 95% 'what?', and her never-out-of-place outfits, but Jane also loved being the one that saw Maura on her off days when she didn't feel like making her bed as neatly as usual, and instead wore slacks and a skivvy; the Maura you could cuddle and not worry about wrinkling. The more Jane thought about her, the more Jane loved her Maura.

And the more she thought, the goofier her smile became. She could feel herself pulling such a grin, looking at her swinging feet as Maura and Jo came towards her. "Now, I wonder what has Detective Rizzoli smiling like that for?" If it was possible, Jane's smile grew bigger still as she jumped down from her car and linked arms with the doctor.

"You," she said matter-of-factly. Maura pulled Jane closer and squished her face up against Jane's shoulder as they made their way to the front door. "Maura?"

"Yes, Jane?" Maura replied as she let Jo off her leash, turning back to Jane as she closed the door.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Maura tilted her head as a cheeky little smile crept onto her lips.

"Like a date?"

"Hmmm, yeah. I mean, it won't be at a restaurant, or anything."

"Oh?"

"I just thought we could order take out and watch movies on my couch all night, wrapped up in a blanket."

"Only one blanket?"

"Don't worry," Jane started as she moved closer to pass Maura. "I'll keep you warm," she whispered into Maura's ear before moving into the kitchen. Maura squished her face up as she smiled ridiculously, but wiped it off before turning to Jane.

"What movies will we watch?"

"Oh, whatever ones make you want to cuddle." Maura smiled to herself as she moved up beside Jane, pressing her body flush to the taller woman's.

"I think I'll be cuddling anyway," Maura finished with a wink, then leaned in to kiss Jane's cheek. Jane raised her eyebrows in anticipation as a smile spread across her lips.

"Okay."


	10. Chapter 10

"Okay, Jo!" Jane hollered as she slid out from her room to the kitchen in her socks. Jane was dressed as nicely as she could while still being comfortable and still wearing clothes that could be stained with pizza toppings and Chinese food without it being the end of the world. Jo tilted her head to the side, seemingly deciding if what Jane was wearing would do for her not-date date with Maura.

"Do you think Maura will snuggle me?" Jo replied to the question by getting up from her spot on the couch and jumping down to her bed. Jane's shoulders slouched in mock defeat. "Thanks for nothing." She sock-skated her way into the living room to check that she had everything ready. "Movies, plural; pillows, plural; blanket, not plural!" She chuckled to herself thinking about how cute Maura's smile would be when she saw that Jane remembered the 'one blanket' discussion. "Food."

Jane spun around and slid over to the kitchen counter and picked up her phone, but hesitated before dialling. "Should I wait for Maura to get here, that way we can eat straight away?" Jo picked up her head and looked at Jane, as if expecting further explanation. "'Cause if it arrived before she did, it could go cold. Unless I put it in the oven to keep warm..." She placed her phone down and knelt in front of Jo. "What do you think?" The dog just flopped her head back down onto the soft cushioning below, causing Jane to expel a dramatic sigh. "Should I just call her and ask?"

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. The brunette stood up and took one large stride to the front door to look out the peephole. "Hello," she practically sung as she opened the door for Maura. The doctor froze in her tracks and gave Jane a confused look. "Sorry, I'm excited." Maura smiled.

"I am too, Jane." Jane smiled back and extended her arm towards the couch for Maura to move in and make herself comfortable. She gave a lopsided grin at what Maura was wearing; her black leggings rounding her perfect behind, and her (or was it Jane's) baggy sweater hanging loosely around her, one side already slipping off her shoulder as she walked.

She kicked off her sneakers, pushing them neatly together with her toe before taking a seat on the couch. "Ha," she exclaimed as she held up the one blanket for Jane to see. Jane smirked to herself as she closed the door behind her and made her way over to the couch. She stood by the arm of it, making Maura look up at her.

"I have pillows and movies and _a_ blanket, as promised, but I haven't ordered any food yet. What would you like?"

"Hmm... I could go for some pizza."

"Pizza it is," the detective stated before moving to the counter to order. Maura watched the brunette pass her, her hips swaying; _a little more than usual_, Maura noted, narrowing her eyes on the detective's ass. A sly grin tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from letting it grow out of control. "Hello."

Jane's gravelly voice brought the blonde back to the real world, but not out of her arousal. She turned back around, hoping that not looking at Jane would somehow calm her down. She started looking through the stacks of DVDs Jane had piled on her coffee table. She spied quite a few Disney movies, most of which she hadn't seen, so she thought that they would be a good place to start. She picked up a few and started reading the synopses on the back cover.

She occasionally turned around to look at Jane, still on the phone ordering pizza. The way her lean form rocked from side to side, the way her strong leg muscles pushed her up onto her tip-toes, then sliding out, then pulling them back together, the way she bent over the counter, her ass right in Maura's line of sight, the way she'd reach around her back to scratch, making her shoulder blades pop out; it was almost too much for Maura.

She stood up, quietly placing the DVDs back down, and rounded the couch from the other side so Jane wouldn't see her. She snuck up behind Jane and gently slid her arms around Jane's waist, making the taller woman gasp and move her phone away from her mouth. "Maura!" she stage whispered. Maura simply replied by latching on tighter and resting her head on her best friend's back.

A second later, Jane hung up and attempted to spin in her friend's embrace. No good. "Maura?"

"Mmmm?"

"Can I turn around?" Maura released Jane slightly, still holding on enough so that the two of them were still pressed against each other. Maura hadn't meant for it to get so... intimate, so quickly, so she let go a little bit more, allowing some space to come between them. She looked up into Jane's chocolate brown eyes and smiled. "What?" Jane asked.

"You're beautiful."

Jane turned her head away as she smiled a little then shook her head to stop herself. "Don't say that."

"Why not, Jane? It's true."

"Stop, Maura."

"No." Maura countered, her grip growing stronger again. Jane looked back into Maura's dazzling eyes. "You _are_ beautiful. Through my eyes, you are beautiful."

"Yeah, through _your_ eyes."

"And who else's eyes are you concerned with?"

"Fine," Jane whispered in defeat, although she couldn't help the smile that crept across her lips. "But you're more beautiful."

"I know."

"Maura!" Jane playfully slapped Maura's arm, to which the blonde just squeezed tighter, nuzzling her face into the brunette's neck. She could feel Jane's hands slide across her back, rocking her from side to side in their mock wrestle, but when they began to slow, Maura pulled back and placed a kiss to the soft skin of Jane's neck. She pulled her hands around to Jane's sides and pushed back completely, steadying herself, and Jane.

"Can we watch Disney?" Jane nodded.

"Sure. What one do you want to watch?" she questioned as she followed Maura to the couch.

"Could we watch Mulan? I remember reading about her in high school."

"But you have watched the movie before, right?" Maura averted her gaze, focussing on some piece of fluff on one of the pillows, trying to pick it off. "Wow! We're going to be watching a lot of Disney tonight."

"I have seen some of them, Jane," Maura protested, putting the pillow aside to face Jane.

"Other than the ones we've already watched together?"

"Ok, no. But I watched trailers for some of the others." Jane shook her head.

"Who watches trailers for Disney movies?" Maura sighed, showing that she had given up.

"Can we just watch Mulan, please?" she begged, drawing out the last word, sounding way cuter to Jane than she ever thought a grown woman could. Jane chuckled as she got up and put the DVD in the player.

Fifteen minutes later, Jane's tummy rumbled for the um-teenth time, but she didn't care. Her feet were crossed, resting on the coffee table as Maura's were crossed and resting on Jane's lap. She glanced over at the clock, hoping that the delivery boy would soon arrive. She glanced at Maura, too, the doctor's features glowing in the tv light.

She really was beautiful.

Jane was just about to look back at the screen when there was a knock at the door. She began to lift her feet down off the table but Maura exclaimed that she'd get it, and so Jane just relaxed back into the couch.

"Pause, please!" Maura commanded, and so Jane hit the pause button on the remote. "Thank you!" Maura exclaimed again as she leant forward and pressed a quick kiss to Jane's forehead. Both felt a little confused over the sudden kiss, but were both to hungry to really stop and analyse the occurrence. Maura scooped the money off the counter and slid over to the door, now wearing a pair of Jane's fuzzy old socks. She took the pizza box from the delivery boy, paid him, and bid him farewell, before turning around to Jane.

"Thank you," Jane said as she took the pizza from the other woman. She leant over and pulled the coffee table closer to the couch and rested the pizza in the middle so both women could reach it. "Thanks for the kiss too."

"I didn't mean to do that... it just happened."

"It was nice."

"I thought so," Maura agreed as she opened the pizza box. Jane pressed play on the remote and the two of them dug into the steaming pizza, gradually sitting closer to each other.

The sudden blare of the Tarzan DVD menu jolted Jane into an upright position, the glare from the tv making her eyes water. She fumbled around the couch beside her, finally finding it and switching it off. She could still slightly see her surroundings, i.e. Maura, stretched out on the couch, her feet re-crossed on Jane's lap.

Jane felt a pinch in her neck after having her head resting on the back of the couch, but she didn't want to look away from Maura and miss this moment. She tried to turn on the spot to face the doctor without waking her, but she couldn't. Maura felt Jane move and so she wriggled as close to the edge of the couch as possible to allow Jane room to lie down too. Jane didn't quite understand, so Maura patted the couch.

"Lie down with me."

"Uhhh..."

"Jane, just do it. I'm tired." Jane chuckled a little to herself as she slid down the back of the couch until she fit under Maura's arm. She draped her leg in between Maura's and flopped her arm over her torso. She could feel Maura run her fingers through her messy hair, and then play with the last few strands with her fingertips. Jane took a deep breath of Maura's scent, warm and pizza-y, and she could feel herself falling back into sleep almost immediately.

The soft tickle of Maura's breath like a breeze through her hair; the soft circles she was drawing in her back; the slight hum as Maura's breathed out; the shrill ringing of her phone; the gentle rhythm of her heartbeat; the shrill ringing of her phone. "Maura... you're phone's ringing."

"So is yours." With a grumble and a sigh, the two women sat up and answered their phones, knowing that at this time of night it could only be a murder, and that it meant their date was over.

"I'll drive you," Maura offered. Jane nodded through a yawn as she helped Maura up, kissed her on the cheek, and moved off to her room.

**A/N: OMG! I just finished my 10th chapter! I'm so proud of myself, and so thankful that I have all of you wonderful peeps for joining me on this awesome journey :) xo**


	11. Chapter 11

Jane didn't know how Maura could do it, but in the same amount of time it took Jane to find a suitable outfit that wasn't wrinkled or in the washing pile, Maura could pick out yet another stunning ensemble and apply her make-up so that it looked as if an artist had done it.

"You ready?" Maura chirped as she hopped down her stairs with her shoes in her hand. Jane pushed up from the kitchen counter and held out Maura's keys for her. The two women made their way back out to Maura's car and zoomed over to the crime scene, thankful of the late hour as it reduced the traffic significantly.

"God, it's nearly 1am! I got so much sleep yesterday and today I will have none."

"You can stay at my place again after we do what we can tonight, if you like?"

"Yeah... thanks." Maura smiled as she accelerated from the lights and rounded the corner to the parking lot of one of Boston's parks. They had been called in to take a look at what appeared to be a suspicious death. The first cops on the scene couldn't tell if it was a strangling or a hanging; murder or suicide.

Korsak greeted Jane and Maura, leading them over to the body that had been brought down from the tree branch it was stung up on while briefing the detective on the victim's ID. "Rebecca Walsh, 32, works for an accessories business in the city, no relatives; not even a next of kin listed."

"That's odd."

"That's what I thought," Frankie chipped in, walking over from a few homeless people who happened to be nearby.

"Well, no wonder you're a detective, little brother." Frankie just smiled weakly as he glanced over at Maura. Jane slapped his shoulder to bring his attention back to the case.

"Stop staring at her," Jane whispered.

"Just checking for any hickies." She hit him harder this time. He scrunched up his face at her as he made his way around to the other side of the body to talk to Maura, and to be out of Jane's reach. "So, what do you think?" he asked as he crouched down.

"Jane, come and look at this." Jane came over and crouched down beside Maura, eyeing her brother the whole time. He stood up and took a step back.

"What is it?"

"Look at these marks."

"So, she was strangled then hung. We've had this happen before, Maur."

"But these aren't from the same thing. Look... that's from a rope."

"The hanging?"

"Yes. But this is from something with a different pattern. See these rings."

"They're oval shaped; like a chain."

"And look at these marks on her wrists and arms."

"What about her ankles?" Korsak questioned, shining the flashlight on the woman's lower legs. Maura shuffled down to the lower half of the woman's body and pulled up her pant leg, more than it already was. Similar, and different, marks kept appearing on the deceased's legs until Maura couldn't pull the pant leg up any further.

She ran her gloved finger up the woman's leg, feeling the indentations and marks from whatever had left them there. Frankie looked over at Jane and noticed her head had lolled to the side, a pleasant expression pasted on her face. She seemed mesmerized by Maura's slow and gentle movements. He nudged Korsak and nodded in Jane's direction to which he chuckled, breaking Jane out of her daze. She narrowed her eyes at both men, and looked back to Maura, trying to be more professional.

"I'd like to get her back to the morgue so I can have a better look at these marks, okay, Jane?" Jane nodded.

"I'll run some more background checks on her and then come down when you've got something." Maura nodded her agreement and got her team to help get the body to the morgue.

Jane spun and ushered the two men, who were acting more like teenage girls, to the car to head back to headquarters.

Frankie worked on the computers as Jane and Korsak searched for more details from evidence found at the park. Nothing seemed out of place, and so in reality, the two older detectives were waiting on Frankie to find something. They were having a mini basketball-rubbish-into-the-trashcan tournament when the young detective burst in from the BRIC.

"I got something, Janie, and it's good."

"Okay, so spill."

"Alright. Those marks on Rebecca Walsh's body that looked like chains and all that; they were exactly that."

"What?"

"She was into BDSM."

"Oh. Well, that'll help Maura. Thanks little brother." She snatched the small pile of papers he was holding and moved to the door.

"Hmm..."

"What?" she asked, spinning around, slightly agitated.

"I wonder if it _would_ help Maura. I mean, I wonder if she likes that stuff."

"Frankie..." Jane shot him a warning look.

"Hey, Korsak. Do you reckon Jane, being such an awesome detective, could find out for us?"

"You're disgusting, Frankie." The two men chuckled to themselves as Jane marched to the elevator, getting more and more frustrated with them by the second. Apparently Korsak was now in on the fun.

She slipped into the elevator and tried to calm herself down. She skimmed through the papers and came to a conclusion. Rebecca Walsh had committed suicide.

The doors dinged open and she dashed into the morgue where Maura had just covered the body up with a sheet. "Hey, Maura!"

"She committed suicide, Jane."

"That's great, but did you know that she was into-"

"BDSM? Yes, I did, Jane." Maura giggled to herself at the slightly miffed face Jane pulled. 'I'm sorry I spoilt the surprise."

"Meh," Jane shrugged. "She worked in a shop that sold all that stuff and so, I suppose she tried it once every so often."

"I gathered that much."

"But she was also struggling financially and having no family to turn to for help she... just..." Jane shrugged again, not finishing her sentence, because she never liked to think that people gave up on themselves. Maura had taught her to never do that; to always keep going because you will always be stronger today than you were yesterday.

"I know, Jane," the blonde finished with a yawn. "Jane placed the papers onto the top of a spare morgue table and moved over to Maura. She wrapped her arm around the tired doctor and pulled her towards the door.

"Let one of your assistants finish here. You need sleep." Ironically, Jane finished with a yawn as well.

"So do you," Maura mumbled as she turned her head into Jane's neck. They exited the morgue and left each other. Maura headed to the lab to get one of her assistants to deal with the paperwork, and then off to her office to gather her things. Jane rode back up to homicide to grab her jacket.

Frankie and Korsak had already left, knowing that Jane would be heading home with Maura. Jane picked up her jacket and turned off the lights and caught the elevator back down to Maura, waiting in her office. The two women met with a hug and then walked to Maura's car, arms linked.

Somewhere after they were out of sight of whatever people were at the lab that late at night, Jane slipped her hand to Maura's and teased the other woman's fingertips with her own. Eventually she slipped her fingers in between Maura's and the two held hands loosely all the way to the car, and then, once they were sitting side by side, their hands found each other again.

They sleepily made their way inside and up to Maura's bedroom. Jane shook off her jacket, letting it fall to the floor, and yanked off her boots, as Maura kicked off her shoes. Jane flopped down onto her tummy; Maura doing much the same. They didn't even make it up to the pillows; their heads just lay flat along the soft covers of Maura's bed with them breathing in the soft smell.

Maura began to hum as she breathed, maybe she was too tired to realise she was doing it, but it made Jane smile. She reached over and pushed the hair away from Maura's face, tossing it over her shoulder once she'd gathered it all up. Jane tried her best to snuggle over closer to Maura without disturbing her. Maura stopped humming when she could feel the brunette's breath warm her nose.

Jane ran her fingertips down the back of Maura's neck to the top of her dress where the zipper was. She continued moving down, holding the zipper between her fingertips. Maura gasped in suddenly, realising that Jane was essentially undressing her. Jane pulled the zip down as far as her arm would extend, then pushed herself up onto her elbow to allow her more room. When the zipper reached the bottom, or rather Maura's bottom, Jane dragged her fingertips up the blonde's bare back, but stopped when she reached the clasp of her bra.

She moved herself into a better position so that her torso was practically lying on top of Maura's lower back and right bottom cheek. She used her two hands to undo the bra clasp, her arms tucked under her chest like chicken wings. When she'd pushed the bra and dress as far to either side as possible, she rested back on her elbow, still remaining partly draped over Maura's lower body. She deftly ran her fingertips up Maura's naked back, and back down again.

She removed her hand to flick her own hair over her shoulder, then brought her hand back to Maura's skin. This time, as she trailed her hand up Maura's soft skin, she pressed gentle kisses to the places she just touched. Maura's hummed in content as Jane's hand wound up into her gorgeous locks, her lips close behind. The feeling of Jane's body moving up against her ass made her feel a sense of closeness that she had never thought she could feel. She'd been close to a few people before in her life, but Jane's touch gave her a sense of safety at the same time that none had ever given her before.

She could feel Jane's chest move up against her bare back; her leg gradually making its way over Maura's; her lips still kissing the base of Maura's neck as she lifted herself up so she was straddling Maura's upped thighs, just below her round behind. Jane left one lingering kiss to Maura's neck before slipping her fingertips under the straps of Maura's dress and pulling them down her shoulders.

Maura lifted her chest up when she needed to, so that Jane could bring her dress past her breasts. Her bra moved slightly as the dress did, one breast almost popping out. Jane slowly slid down Maura's legs as she slowly slid the dress down too, and then over her feet to drop it to the floor. In the dim lighting from the hall, she could see Maura's eyes were closed so she took the opportunity to remove her own shirt.

She tossed it to the floor behind her, moving immediately back to Maura. She used her fingers to hook under Maura's bra straps to pull them down. Maura rose off the bed again, the night air tightening her nipples. She gasped at the sensation, but didn't move just yet. She could feel Jane leave the bed for a moment, but after hearing the detective's buckle being undone, relaxed back into the bed's softness.

Jane left her pants in the same pile as her shirt, then took a steadying breath before removing her own bra. She looked down at her body, then the shadow it cast up Maura's bed, covering most of the doctor. In the small sliver of light that caught on Maura's body, Jane saw the blonde's panties. She hastily removed her own and then crawled back onto the bed, sitting on her knees beside Maura's legs. She let her fingertips dance across the skin of Maura's lower back before slipping under the thin material and pulling them down.

Once the two women were both completely naked, Jane lay back down next to Maura, the way she had before she started undressing the other woman. She ran her fingers through Maura's golden hair, and then behind her head. She moved her body closer to Maura's until they were but a breath apart. She leaned in and dragged her lips across Maura's. The doctor tilted her head up for Jane to kiss her, again and again. Her own hand came up from alongside her body to gently caress Jane's cheek.

"Maura, do you like this?"

"I like you, Jane." Jane smiled and closed her eyes, Maura's words touching her in the warmest ways. Maura leaned in and pressed another kiss to Jane's lips before whispering against them. "I love you, Jane."

"I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

Maura ran her fingertips along Jane's soft skin, up to her forehead, down her nose, and over her lips. When her finger dropped over the brunette's bottom lip, she leaned in and gently took it between her own lips in a soft and tender kiss.

Jane pushed her body into Maura's, rolling her over onto her back. A shiver raced down Jane's spine when she felt her nipples touch Maura's. The blonde smiled into the deepening kiss as she felt Jane press harder into her to satisfy the urges flooding her mind. Maura's hand slipped up the back of Jane's neck and played with the hairs at the base of her neck. She spread her legs slightly so that Jane's could slide in between.

Jane's arms cradled Maura's torso, her hands securely hooked around the other woman's shoulders. She pulled back from the kiss and dragged her warm lips across Maura's cheek and down to just below her ear. She pushed her nose into Maura's perfect hair and took a deep breath. Maura's scent was so calming she felt as if she could fall asleep right there and then, but she knew she really ought to not, for she'd be an idiot to not let her lips cover the rest of Dr Isles' heavenly skin.

Maura ran her fingernails up Jane's neck and into her scalp, one hand staying there whilst the other ran down her back. She lifted her right leg up and draped it over Jane's left, still settled between her thighs. She used her leg to bring Jane's closer to her throbbing centre, wanting some kind of release. Jane's lips trailing down her neck to her collar bone, occasionally nipping and licking at the supple skin beneath was driving her mad.

She wanted so much from this moment; she wanted it to be perfect, and she knew no matter how many things they did to make it just that little bit more special, she only needed one thing for it to be the best night of her life. She only needed Jane to be there, loving her and kissing her. Anything else didn't matter.

Her eyelids were growing heavier and heavier with each touch of Jane's lips. She eventually let her eyes close when she felt Jane's kisses make their way between her breasts. With her hand still entwined in Jane's dark locks, she used her fingertips to bring all the stray hairs away from the brunette's face so she could see the trail she was leaving.

In the subtle light from the hall, she could see the trail of wet kisses that Jane had left across her skin; and she smiled. She had dreamt of this moment for so long it seemed almost surreal that it was actually upon her. Jane's right hand released its hold on Maura's shoulder and moved down the soft skin on the blonde's side until she could feel the bulge of Maura's breast; firm from being squished between her chest and Jane's own breast.

Her thumb ran in little circles on the soft skin, as she moved her body so that she could bring he mouth closer to Maura's painfully taught nipple. She massaged the blonde's breast once she had removed her weight from above it, letting it move freely in her strong hand. She continued her wet kisses around Maura's nipple, making the doctor whimper the closer she got the perky flesh.

"Jane..." Maura whispered when she finally placed a gentle kiss to the tip of Maura's breast. Jane smiled into the kiss before dipping her head to take more of Maura's breast into her mouth. She softly ran her tongue around and over Maura's nipple enjoying the gasps and moans that came from the person beneath her. After a few tantalising moments she switched slowly to the other breast.

Maura's hand was still wrapped in Jane's hair, slightly tugging when the mass of sensations became too much. Jane began to slow her movements, giving only sweet kisses to Maura's abdomen as she made her way down to Maura's waist. She ran her hands down the length of Maura's side as she placed a final kiss just above the blonde's belly button.

Jane was moving around above her before Maura realised it and when she opened her eyes, Jane was sitting up, straddling her thighs and looking down at her hands as her hands fidgeted. Maura propped herself up on her elbows.

"Jane, what is it?"

Jane sighed before looking up. "Do you want this?"

"Yes, Jane."

"But don't you want it to be perfect?"

"It is, because you're perfect." Jane scoffed, making Maura sit up so that she could look into Jane's dark eyes as she slouched. "You are. You're all I need. You're all I want; more than anything." Jane sniffled, showing Maura that she was getting a little emotional about this. "Jane," she began as she took Jane's face in her hands. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. Everything you do is beautiful to me, and I know that whatever time we spend together will be the most special to me." Maura sniffled herself now.

"I'm sorry, Maur... I love you so much and I just want everything to be perfect for you." Maura slid her hands down to Jane's neck and leaned in for a soft kiss. She pulled back and smiled at her beautiful Jane as she slid her hands down to wrap around the detective's waist.

"Don't apologise, darling," she whispered, making Jane smile. "It already is." Their lips met again in a tender kiss that lingered the whole time that Maura lay back down; Jane still wrapped lovingly in her arms. Jane leaned over Maura, still on her knees as she felt the blonde's lips suckle at her neck and shoulder. She pressed her nose into Maura's hair again, this time actually feeling the edge of sleep creeping up on her. She closed her eyes, preparing her knees to slide down so that she could wrap her entire being around Maura, but she suddenly felt Maura's right hand slip down between them.

She gasped when she felt the doctor's fingertips rake over her abs and down to her centre. She pushed herself up onto her elbows slightly to look into Maura's eyes. She saw nothing there but love and her heart melted just a bit at the knowledge of someone loving her so unconditionally. She pressed her lips to Maura's, slowly deepening the kiss as Maura ran her fingers softly through Jane's wet folds.

Jane moaned into the touch, rocking her hips into Maura's hand. She gently shuffled her knees further up along Maura's thighs so that she could resume her straddle position whilst still being able to kiss her love. When she sat herself back down she felt her wet heat press against Maura's pelvis and the pressure only made her rock her hips harder.

Maura's fingers were slick and wet as she slid two inside Jane, revelling in the deep moan released just by her ear. She turned her head to kiss Jane's cheek as she brought her fingers in and out; each time a little faster.

The combination of Jane's rocking and the base of Maura's palm pressing into Jane's clit was almost too much to bear. Her entire body began to rock above Maura's as she reattached their lips in a languid kiss. Her movements were slowly becoming more and more erratic as she pressed her body into Maura's craving release. She could feel their bodies begin to stick together with sweat so she pushed up, still maintaining her heavy rocking. Her breasts were bouncing about, giving Maura ample reason to smile, but Jane's moans of delight and slight frustration quickly brought her back.

Maura reached up to cup Jane's right breast in her hand to massage it. She pinched the nipple and pushed her breast upwards, hoping that the sensations would tip her over the edge. Jane's brows furrowed and her eyes closed as she felt her orgasm fill her body, sending every nerve in her body into overdrive. She cried out Maura's name as she crashed down on top of the other woman, her breathing heavy and her body absolutely exhausted. She'd need a few moments to recover before making love to Maura.

She breathed heavily into Maura's neck as she tried to ease her heartbeat. Maura brought her hand back up between them, her fingers sticky and slightly wrinkly. She trailed her fingertips over Jane's back and down to her ass to give it a gentle squeeze. She teasingly rocked her own hips up into Jane, earning her a gentle pinch at her side. She chuckled as she ran both her hands over Jane's body, helping to sooth her racing heart.

Jane pushed up slightly when she had recovered her breath and pressed a gentle kiss to Maura's forehead. "Thank you," she whispered before peppering kisses down the blonde's body until her body was settle between Maura's thighs, her chest resting on her tummy and her lips kissing the soft skin below her breasts. She turned her head to the side so that she could relax a little while longer, her heart still beating like a bongo drum.

"You don't have to thank me, Jane."

"Oh, but I do. That was amazing."

"Oh, well, thank you." Jane lifted her head up to look deep into Maura's gorgeous eyes.

"Don't thank me just yet, babe," Jane finished with a wink before kissing her way down to Maura's soaked core. Maura bit her lip in anticipation as Jane's head dipped down between her thighs.

She placed one hand over her racing heart as the other found loose strands of Jane's hair still splayed across her abdomen before whispering, "oh, god."


	13. Chapter 13

Maura woke when the light peered through the curtains of her bedroom, filling the room with its early morning warmth. She felt Jane at her side, her head tucked into the crook of her neck; and her arm draped across her torso, the detective's hand resting peacefully at her side against the side of her breast.

Although she had slept soundly since Jane had given her the gift of amazing sex hours ago, she still felt as if she could sleep for a week. She closed her eyes again, smiling slightly at the little humming noises Jane made as she dreamt. Her muscles still felt tired and so she saw no harm in sleeping in just a little before getting up to start her day.

When she re-awoke later due to something tickling her neck, she could feel Jane's weight in the bed, but noticed she wasn't tucked under her arm anymore. Again she felt the tickling, and so she turned her head to the left, her eyes still closed, realising that it was most likely Jane.

"Shhh, keep your head there," Jane whispered before holding Maura's chin in her fingertips to turn her head back to the right. She held the doctor's head there, as Maura felt the tickling sensation again.

"Jane... what are you doing?"

"You'll see," Jane answered, her voice sounding rather cheeky. Maura stayed still as the odd sensation resumed on her neck. She tried her best not to squirm when it really did tickle, and instead tried to figure out what Jane was doing. She had decided that it wasn't Jane's fingers, nor her fingernails that were tracing on her skin, and thought perhaps that it was a pen. _But why is she using a pen?_ Her idea was confirmed when Jane questioned Maura. "What colour?"

Jane was holding up two ballpoint pens, one purple and one orange. "Purple," Maura answered, still slightly confused. She turned her head back to the right for Jane to continue drawing on her neck. She waited for a few moments, fidgeting at the edge of the sheet with her nails before Jane got her attention.

"Okay, ready."

"Jane, what were you doing?"

"Look!" Jane instructed excitedly as she held up the hand mirror from Maura's bathroom. Maura grabbed hold of it and held it so that she could see the drawing Jane had done on her neck. She smiled when she saw a brightly coloured butterfly.

"Aw, Jane. It's beautiful!"

Jane reached out and traced her fingers along the centre of the butterfly, feeling the slight scar beneath it from where Hoyt had cut Maura, all those years ago. "I felt it last night when I was kissing you, and I wanted to do something so that..."

"Jane..."

Jane took a steading breath before continuing. "Instead of it being an ugly thing that reminds you of something horrible, now it can be a good thing, because of the...um... beautiful butterfly." Maura smiled as Jane bowed her head, embarrassed at saying yet another poetic sentiment. "Beautiful, just like the rest of you." She looked up this time, meaning what she had said.

"I love it." Jane smiled at Maura's appreciation, collecting the pens to put back into the little pencil case that Maura kept in her living room.

"I'm sorry that I got you into that, Maura. You could have died."

"Jane, look at me." She tipped her head so that she could catch Jane's gaze, waiting until she peered up. "It wasn't your fault that we got into that situation. Remember, he had you pinned down too. I should have been there to save you."

"Maura..."

"The point is, it's no one's fault, it was no one's job to protect the other, and Hoyt is dead. He's dead now and he can't get to you or me. And if you have forgotten, you _did_ end up saving me."

"It was almost like I could let him cut and stab me, but the second he did anything to you... that was too far."

"It was _all_ too far, Jane."

"I know; but that's what really set me off. He signed his own death wish when he cut you." Maura reached over and placed her hand over Jane's and rubbed it gently, feeling the scars underneath.

"But now, I have a beautiful butterfly." Jane looked up into Maura's loving eyes and smiled. "Did you want to take a photo?"

"Ok," Jane answered before bouncing off the bed to grab her phone.

"I have a camera downstairs." Jane looked up from her phone. "That way, we can... take some other photos," Maura finished with a cheeky smirk and a suggestive raise of her eyebrow. Jane smiled as she placed her phone down and exited the room, a slight skip in her step. She had put her panties back on and also one of her baggy t-shirts that she kept in Maura's drawer as she didn't feel comfortable waltzing naked through someone else's house, even if it was Maura's. Besides, her mother might walk in on her.

Jane returned not a minute later, obviously very excited about having a mini photo shoot with naked Maura. She sat back on the bed beside Maura and took a simple photograph of the butterfly on her neck then placed the camera down to remove her shirt. Maura rolled on to her side to face Jane, holding the sheet close to her chest. Jane picked up the camera again and took a quick snap of Maura, the morning sun cascading across her back, making her glow like an angel.

She teasingly pulled the sheet away from Maura's grasp, taking another photo at the same time. Maura giggled and threw an arm across her face, her breasts jiggling a little as Jane took a few more pictures. Jane straddled Maura's naked hips and took a selfie as she bent to kiss the soft spot between her breasts. Maura's arms came down around her and pulled her up to kiss her.

Jane continued to take selfies as she and Maura rolled around the bed, giggling like a pair of schoolgirls, until she was lying on her tummy and Maura had snagged the camera off her. Jane pulled the pillow down under her face and snuggled in. Maura brushed Jane's hair across her back and took a few shots, enjoying the little grin on Jane's face. Maura sat across Jane's lower legs as she hooked her fingers under the waistband of the brunette's panties and pulled down, clicking the camera as she did so.

The way the sunlight bounced off the supple skin of Jane's bottom made the blonde want to kiss her, and so she did. She took a selfie as she placed as kiss in the dip of Jane's back, and took a few more as she smattered her soft tush with kisses as well. She took one final shot as she gave the detective's ass a squeeze then crawled up to lie beside Jane so that they could look at the photos together. Maura giggled and Jane groaned as they skimmed through the photos of Jane, and vice versa when they looked at the ones of Maura.

Neither giggled nor groaned when they looked at the ones of them together, however, as they were some of the sweetest and most beautiful photos of each other that they had ever seen. Jane looked loving and Maura looked loved, and they both revelled in the little buzz of happiness that danced around their bodies when they gazed upon them. With each new picture that they looked at, they snuggled closer together, finally ending up with Maura tucked under Jane's arm as she held the camera in her hands, staring peacefully of a shot of Maura kissing Jane's cheek as Jane's face scrunched up in laughter.

Maura placed the camera down at her side and reached up to hold Jane's arm which was wrapped securely across her chest. She tilted her head and placed a kiss on the brunette's forearm. Jane breathed in the intoxicating scent of Maura's hair as she closed her eyes, easily ready to fall back into sleep.

Both women would have if it weren't for the sound of Maura's back door opening and Angela's voice echoing through the empty house. Jane's eyes shot open as she released her hold on Maura to gather up her clothes and run into the bathroom. Maura looked at the clock as she pulled out her clean pyjamas from her draw and jumped into them. _7:46_... She knew that Angela would usually have gone to work already, but since she and Jane didn't have to as early as usual, Mother Rizzoli had offered to come over and make them breakfast. She'd told Maura as they had returned home much earlier that morning, but she had forgotten to tell Jane.

Jane opened the bathroom door and stepped out in the baggy shirt she was wearing earlier and a pair of sweatpants, and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, hoping to convince Angela that she had been up for a while doing something other than taking part in the cute couple-y stuff she recently found herself enjoying with Maura. She smiled at Maura, opening her hands in a way of asking Maura if she looked alright, to which she nodded, so she skipped out of the room.

Maura did up the last button of her top before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her, lest Angela come up for some reason and find her bed unmade with Jane's clothes from the previous day tossed about her room.

"Morning, Angela," Maura chirped as she entered the room, but her face drained of its perky expression when Jane came over to her, and Angela narrowed her eyes at her.

"Did you go to the bathroom?" Jane whispered.

"No, why?" Maura asked confused.

"Maura, honey?" Angela butted in. Maura looked up at the other Rizzoli as Jane turned her back to her mother and slapped her forehead into her hand. "Is that a butterfly on your neck?"

"Um..." Maura stuttered, trying to think of an excuse.


	14. Chapter 14

The usually calm and collective mind of Dr Maura Isles was, in that moment, absolute mush. It was a simple butterfly, simply drawn on her neck by Jane after a simple night of simple sex. Although it really wasn't simple... it was spectacular; and she hated her mind for wandering back to that thought instead of an answer for Angela.

"Maura... are you ok?"

"Ahh... ummm... yeah. Fine," Maura nodded awkwardly, her brows furrowing together, hoping that Jane would help her out. She hadn't even lied yet and she could feel the hives starting.

"Ma, would make us some coffee, please? I'm gonna help Maura wash her butterfly off." Jane's attempt to troubleshoot the situation wasn't helped with Maura's little whine at the thought of losing her butterfly. Angela tilted her head slightly, trying to understand her daughter and her "friend".

"No, I think I'll make some coffee after you tell me about the little butterfly," Angela countered, grinning at Jane's grumble. "Maura..." she began as she leaned over the counter to engage Maura in conversation. She tapped the counter, beckoning the nervous doctor over to her. Maura shuffled over despite Jane's continuous grumbles of "no...no!" and took a seat on the stool closest to Angela.

Maura cleared her throat as she settled herself, showing a smile that would hopefully fool Jane's medalling mother. "Yes?"

"Did Jane draw the butterfly?" Maura didn't answer, but her smile faltered slightly. Angela nodded to herself, obviously mentally ticking of the box in her head. "Were you... asleep still?"

"Ma," Jane warned.

"Ah, ah, ah," Angela waved her finger at her daughter, then turned back to Maura, showing an equally devious grin. " So, if you were still asleep, does that mean that Janie was here overnight?" Again, Maura's smile faltered as she swallowed hard. "Now, Maura."

"Mmmhmm?"

"I'm not going to ask the next question, because I don't want to embarrass you or risk Jane swatting me with the tea towel, but you _do_ know the next question; don't you?"

"Mmmhmm," Maura muttered with another thick swallow. Angela tilted her head towards Maura, begging for her to continue. She was so heavily invested in her daughter's life that she had to know every little thing about it. Maura took a deep breath, but just as she opened her mouth to confess, Jane smacked her hand over it.

"Ma, it's none of your business, so just butt out, ok?"

"Oh, ok, Janie; but you do realise that, ah... you just gave the answer I was looking for," Angela finished as she spun around to leave.

"Oh, my God! Ok, Ma! Yes, Maura and I slept together," she admitted as the blonde leaned forward to rest her forehead against the kitchen counter. "And yes, I want to be her girlfriend and spend all of my time with her... doing things, but they are things that I don't have to tell you, 'cause it's not your love life. It's mine!" Angela smiled in satisfaction as Maura raised her head. "Maura's my love life, so you can just... go about your business," Jane stated as she waved her hands around dramatically.

"Aw, Jane," Maura said sweetly as she rubbed the brunette's forearm. "I love you."

"I love you too, Maur." She leant forward and placed a kiss on the doctor's nose.

"Oh, Janie!" Angela burst as she quickly made her way over to hug the stuffing out of her daughter.

"Ok, Ma," Jane wheezed as her entire torso was squished in her mother's arms.

"And Maura," Angela squealed as her arms encircled Maura as well, sufficiently winding her too. She planted a smacking kiss on each woman's cheek before practically skipping out the door, leaving them to themselves.

"Ah..."

"Did I just say all that?"

"I'm afraid so, Jane. But thank you, anyway."

"What for?" Jane asked as she sat on the other stool, leaning against the counter.

"For loving me." Jane turned to see Maura throwing a cheesy grin at her, which instantly made her break out in laughter.

"You're so lame, you know that?"

"Yeah... but you love me just the same."

"I think it makes me love you even more, actually," Jane whispered into Maura's ear as she stood up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a half-hug. Maura smiled as she felt Jane leave, hearing her head to the stairs.

"Jane?" she began, spinning on her stool.

"Yeah?"

Maura swallowed and looked at her hands, fidgeting. "Do you think Barry would have been happy for us? You know, because we're girlfriends?" she finished with a gentle smile, liking the sound of her and Jane dating.

Jane frowned a little as she thought, then moved to the back of the couch and leant against it. "I think he already knew. Just things that he'd say, or the way he'd smile to himself after you and I talked... I think he knew we'd... happen."

"Oh, is that what it is? A happening?"

"Yeah, well, more like an event. One of those events that are just..." she shook her head as she tried to think of a suitable enough word for how she felt about Maura. "Like a volcano erupting." Maura quirked her head trying to understand Jane's train of thought. "Ok... You could sit there and watch this amazing thing happen over and over on T.V, or read about it, and you know it's real, but you've never seen it, or rather, you've never experienced it, but when you do: wow! It's incredible, it's spectacular, it's...it...i... It's wow!"

"Aw, well I think you're wow, too, Jane." She pushed off of her stool and waltzed over to the tall detective who was now chuckling despite herself. She opened her arms and slipped into Jane's embrace, breathing in her warm lavender smell. "Jane, I don't have to get rid of the butterfly just yet, do I?"

"Of course not, Maur. Besides, we don't have to go anywhere today, so if you like, I can draw some other animals on you as well." Maura pulled back to smile cheekily at Jane.

"I like that idea, as long as I can draw some on you, too."

"Whatever the doctor orders."

"Well, Jane, you know I wouldn't actually presc-"

"I know, Maura. It was a joke."

"Oh...well, let's have some breakfast first."

"Sounds good."

Jane flicked through the channels on Maura's flat screen T.V as Maura knelt down in the kitchen to feed Bass. Jane dropped the remote in her lap when she found a channel showing the same Looney Tune re-runs that she was watching a few days ago. She draped her arm over the back of the couch for Maura to settle into when she came back over.

"Shouldn't you go home to feed Jo Friday?" Maura asked as she relaxed into Jane's hold.

"Ma texted and said she'd pop over and pick her up, so I can feed her when she gets back."

"That's fine then."

Maura giggled to herself as she enjoyed the antics of the cartoons on the screen, often praising Bugs Bunny for eating carrots.

"Maura, he's a rabbit. Of course he eats carrots." The blonde shrugged as she snuggled back into the detective, enjoying her day off, and also noting that she could very well be blissfully happy to do this with Jane every weekend for the rest of her life.

The two watched the cartoons for the next 20 minutes until Angela came in, with eyes closed, much to the amusement of Maura, with Jo Friday. Jo skittered over to Jane and bounded up onto her lap before dashing into the kitchen for her breakfast. Angela smiled at the happy environment of the house before exiting, leaving the two girls to spend their day as they wished.


	15. Chapter 15

Maura sat straddling Jane's lower back, a pen in between her teeth and one in either hand. She tilted her head to the side as she tried to decide what to draw. She thought about the Parisian skyline, "Starry Night" by Van Gogh, a field full of daisies, but she knew Jane probably wouldn't want something so sweet on her.

"Maura, just draw something... anything."

Maura grabbed the pen out of her mouth and slouched. "I don't know, Jane. I want to draw something you'll like, but everything I think of is ridiculously sweet."

"It doesn't matter, Maur. It'll just wash off tonight when we have a shower."

"We, huh?" Maura questioned.

"Well, yeah. There's no way I would be able to reach around that far and wash it all off completely."

"Oh," Maura whispered, feeling a little deflated.

"And so I can wash you too. All over." Jane enjoyed the mischievous giggle from Maura. "Just draw a scene; maybe like, where you'd like to go on a holiday."

"Ok," Maura squeaked, an idea popping into her head. She leant forward over Jane's upper back and drew a semi-circle with her orange pen. Next she drew the trunk of a palm tree in brown, and added bright green palm fronds. She scribbled some coconuts and added a small footprint in the sand. Next, with her blue pen, she drew in a calm blue wave and some others in the distance as she added in the horizon.

"Draw something down here, too," Jane instructed as she reached around to tap her lower back. Maura wriggled back over Jane's tush, still in the baggy sweatpants from earlier that day. Maura pulled them down a little just for her own enjoyment. She decided to continue the drawing from Jane's upper back so she sketched, in the foreground, a small sailboat and a cartoon Jane and Maura on the bow in bikinis. She giggled to herself as she got excited about the real Jane in a real bikini. _One day_, she thought to herself.

She also added a few fish and a dolphin jumping out of the water. She didn't want to hurt Jane's back by colouring in all the empty spaces with the hard tip of the pen, so she just thickened all of the outlines. She drew a couple of those generic in-the-distance birds, with a few fluffy clouds to finish it off. She sat up to admire her work, making sure that everything looked good and that there wasn't anything else to add. She smiled to herself and leaned over to press a kiss to the back of Jane's neck.

"Finished," she whispered as she leaned back up to grab the camera. She took a shot of each half and one of the whole thing, as well as one including Jane's pleasant smile at the top of the shot. She got off the brunette's butt and helped her sit up. Maura passed Jane the camera to look at the photos as she lay down on her tummy, ready for Jane to draw on her.

"Oh, Maura; that's really sweet." Maura smiled to herself as she pulled her hair to one side for Jane. "I like the little us," she finished as she placed the camera down and straddled Maura, preparing to draw a baseball field on her skin; but she stopped. She never realised just how many sweet little freckles Maura actually had, and it mesmerised her. She lightly dragged her fingers over them, imagining them as stars.

A thought occurred to her, and she immediately knew it was a better idea than her previous one. She picked up the pens and began sketching as best she could. Maura could feel Jane working and noticed that all she was doing was colouring in a section of her upper back with the one pen. "Jane, what are you doing?"

"Shhh, you'll see." Maura heard the smile in her voice and decided to trust her. "I was going to draw a baseball field, but I got a better idea."

"Oh, the baseball field would've been good."

"But not as good as this."

"Shall I guess?"

"No. You wouldn't get it anyway."

"Oh, really?" Maura asked, attempting to look over her shoulder to look at the smug detective.

"Ah, ah, no peeking," Jane ordered as she leaned over to cover up her drawing, to which she was adding more detail.

"I wasn't going to peek, cheeky." Jane sat back up as Maura rested her cheek back on the soft sheets of her bed. They'd just pulled the covers back and let them fall to the floor so that they could have the entire space of the mattress to flop over. It was so unlike Maura to have a rather messy bedroom like a teenager, but right now, in this moment of love and comfort with Jane, she didn't care.

It was fun, and that's all she cared about, not that it wasn't very adult like, or much like a grown up, because age didn't matter when it was just her and the person she loved. And she didn't care at all about what her colleagues or other work friends might think of their day-off adventures, because it didn't concern them, and she didn't need their permission or opinions on it. She liked the spontaneity of her interactions with the tough detective, who turned into the most loving and cute girlfriend whenever they were alone.

All Maura knew was that these moments turned out to be the happiest she felt she had ever had, because she wasn't anyone else but Maura; Jane's Maura. And she loved that feeling. She loved feeling her heartbeat race when Jane smiled at her, because now she could smile back instead of keeping all that love to herself. She loved looking in the mirror and shaking her head while she chuckled to herself because of the way she and Jane acted sometimes. It felt so exhilarating to feel so alive and loved.

"Maura?"

"Yes, Jane?" she answered, opening her eyes from her thoughts.

"I'm done."

"Oh, okay. Have you taken a photo?"

"Yeah... I think you fell asleep for a bit."

"Oh," she whispered sheepishly, for she was really just enjoying the moment. "Can I look?"

"Yep," Jane replied as she settled herself on her knees next to Maura. The doctor sat up and crossed her legs facing Jane. She took the camera as it was handed to her, smiling cheekily to herself as she glanced at Jane's breasts. It was odd, but nice, she thought, how within one day, they had become so comfortable around each other in such a lack of clothing.

When she looked at the photos of the picture on her back, her smile, however, vanished. It certainly was better than a baseball field. Across Maura's lower back was the same boat she'd drawn on Jane, only the two of them were facing the island, looking up into the night sky, full of stars and the bright moon in the top right. She smiled sweetly, a tear creeping out of the corner of her eye as she read the words wonkily written dot-to-dot style between her freckles: "I love you to the moon and back", an arrow pointing to the moon.

Maura looked up into the chocolate eyes of the brunette, a big cheesy grin spread across her face. "Oh, Jane; it's perfect." She reached out to caress the detective's cheek lovingly. Jane pressed into Maura's hand and leaned forward to kiss her. Maura's hand wrapped around Jane's neck and pulled her closer. Without detaching their lips, Jane moved forward, moving her legs as Maura did. Jane moved her legs either side of Maura's as she opened her crossed legs for Jane to sit in between. Jane rocked off her feet and sat snuggly in Maura's embrace, wrapping her legs behind the blonde.

Jane pulled back from the kiss to tuck Maura's hair behind her ears. "I didn't hurt you by colouring in the sky, did I?" she asked.

"I've gone through worse pain for you, Jane Rizzoli."

"I'm sorry."

"Jane," Maura tilted the detective's head up with her fingertips. "I'd do it all over again." Maura finished with a gentle kiss to Jane's forehead, before wrapping her arms back around the detective's neck, enjoying the scent of her hair. Jane smiled into Maura's as she wrapped her arms around Maura's waist; wrapping her legs a little tighter as well.

**A/N: Hiya :) The pictures that I had J & M draw are a variation of the one that I always draw when I'm bored, so I liked the idea of putting it in here :) xo**


	16. Chapter 16

Dressed in tank tops and shorts with lace up canvas shoes, Maura and Jane walked Jo Friday up and down the maze of streets of Boston, their pinkies linked together as their arms swung by their sides. The pace was casual, giving Jo the option to stop whenever she wanted.

The skies of their pictures peeked over the tops of the shirts, the bottom of Jane's showing when Maura would occasionally slip her hand under the shirt to hook her fingers around the brunette's waist and pull her a little closer. When Jo stopped to sniff the base of a tree, Jane and Maura would turn to face each other; smiles painted across their faces, and that special sparkle of love twinkling in their eyes.

They chatted about the weather and what they might do on their next day off, or whatever else popped into their minds. Jo seemed to like the longer walk but was slowing down soon enough, getting ready to rest her little body. Jane led them into one of Boston's many parks and over to a bench near a drink fountain. Maura sat on the bench as Jane filled her cupped hands with water for Jo to lap at.

When the dog had had enough she lay down at the women's feet as they sat together on the bench. Jane draped her right arm across the back of the bench behind the blonde, revelling in the feeling of being so open about her relationship with Maura. To anyone passing, they were just a sweet couple with their dog. Angela was the only one that Jane was nervous about telling, but since that already happened, she was fine. Maura felt more confident knowing that it was Jane that she was dating, so she didn't mind if people saw. She was very excited about the idea of walking into the BRIC to hand Jane some evidence from an autopsy and kissing her cheek before leaving.

Neither thought it would be a necessity to sit people down to tell them. They were just dating after all. They weren't the first people to ever do it, so what was the need. Frankie probably already knew anyway, as Angela would've needed to tell someone otherwise she'd pop, and he may have mentioned it to Korsak, but if he hadn't, the older detective would find out soon enough, and they were sure he'd be happy for them.

Other couples walked through the park, hand in hand, some young, some old, some with children, some with dogs, some on a first date, some just on an afternoon walk, just like they had every week for years. It brought a smile to Maura's face as she leant her head on Jane's shoulder and placed her hand on the detective's thigh.

Off to the left, there was a playground with kids running around madly, and others climbing all over the equipment and dangling of bars. A few had their parents running around madly, trying to keep up with them, and others knew the play gym like the backs of their hands.

"Jane, do you want kids someday?" Maura quizzed, rubbing her hand gently up and down Jane's thigh.

"Yeah, I would. You'd make a great mother, Maura."

"So would you, Jane."

"I have an awesome idea," Jane began in a slightly over the top excitement, making Maura spin to face her. "Maybe we should have kids together!" She opened her mouth wide at the end to show her amazement at the obviously brilliant idea. Maura chuckled at her girlfriend as she settled back into her embrace.

"I think that's pure genius, Jane."

"I know," Jane replied with a not-so-humble grin. They relaxed back into each other for a few more peaceful moments before Jane spied a young couple on the opposite side of the park, the young man on his knee whilst the woman held her hands to her mouth in joy. "Of course, I'll make an honest woman out of you first."

"Why, Jane, is that a marriage proposal?"

"We haven't even been officially dating for a whole day, and you're already hinting at marriage. You and my mother."

"Haha! Oh, Jane! I was kidding."

"I can see us getting married though."

"Me too." Maura turned her head to place a kiss to Jane's neck. "But we'll have to negotiate on the 'wedding over home plate' idea."

"Oh, alright," Jane said in mock disappointment.

"I suppose I'd have to come then."

"Oh, you can cum all you like, babe," Jane whispered into Maura's ear.

"Jane!" Maura gasped, playfully slapping Jane's leg.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, I suppose you would have to come to the wedding." Jane chuckled as she rested her head on Maura's head. She liked this; the banter that still continued between the two of them, especially now because of what they were bantering about.

She closed her eyes and pictured Maura walking down the aisle towards her, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders which were covered in simple lace sleeves that went half way down her upper arms. The lace covered her cleavage as well, leaving her chest bare except for a simple teardrop necklace. The satin bodice of the dress hugged Maura's gorgeous frame before flowing out into a beautiful skirt, edged with the same lace from her sleeves.

She couldn't see what shoes Maura was wearing, but she supposed she wasn't wearing any as they were apparently having the wedding on a beach. The aisle was marked out by pebbles and frangipanis leading all the way up to the alter where she stood. She looked down on her own dress (she crinkled her nose at that), but noted that it wasn't that bad. It was rather Greek Goddess like, with a simple design. Plaited gold straps that held up her loose-fitting dress, pulled together at her waist with a simple band of white that tied into a lazy bow at the back.

She, too, was shoeless, so she imagined her toes burying themselves into the sand in nervousness as Maura approached. She quickly looked out at their audience and spotted Korsak and Frankie with his date for the event, her mother sitting with Cavanaugh, and Frost. She tried to open her eyes, but then she saw him smile at her and give her a hearty thumbs up. She smiled back and felt Maura at her side.

"Jane?" She smiled at Frost one more time, then turned to her future wife. "Jane, time to go home."

She opened her eyes and saw that the park had gotten significantly darker. "Did I fall asleep?"

"I think you may have." Maura answered as she helped Jane stand up. She tugged lightly on the lead for Jo to follow as she linked arms with Jane.

Most of the other people had gone home or were heading home as Jane looked around the park. As they were nearing the exit, they passed the young couple from before. Jane noticed the ring on the girl's finger and gave them a smile to congratulate them. They smiled back in appreciation before linking their hands and walking on. Jane's smile stayed on her face for a few moments longer as she felt Maura's shoulder brush against hers.

They took a shorter way home, going down main roads instead of back streets as the light had begun to dim even more and the night's cooler air crept in. Jane breathed in, smelling dinners cooking, the cigarettes of by-passers burning and Maura's forever sweet scented hair.

Maura glanced up at Jane and noticed the peaceful expression on her face. She'd never seen Jane so happy. Perhaps it was just the relaxing mood of the day mixed with the company, but Maura felt the same way. She could spend many a day doing just what they did today. Not rushing to any crime scenes, not grumbling about families and their issues, not overdue paperwork (not that she ever had any of that); just the enjoyment of life.

She took a deep breath in, knowing that the slow pace of the day would soon catch up with her and she'd begin to feel sleepy. "Jane?"

"Mmm?"

"What were you dreaming about?"

Jane smiled to herself as she recalled the dream, every detail still dancing joyfully in her mind. "Our wedding." Maura smiled to herself as she slid her hand down to Jane's to lace their fingers together. "Barry was there." Maura looked up at Jane, a small smile on her lips and her eyebrows raised, wondering if Jane was sad because of it. Jane just smiled back, the happiness reaching her eyes, for if she had the thought that he _could_ be there, then it was almost real.

She squeezed Maura's hand a little tighter as they approached the shorter woman's home. She let Jo off her leash when they entered, and moved to the kitchen counter as Maura pulled out her menus for take-away. "Why not stay in the lazy mood?" she finished with a shrug. Jane chuckled as she shrugged in return.

"I'll go have my shower," Jane stated as she leaned over to kiss Maura's cheek. "Join me when you're done?" Maura smiled, kissing in Jane's direction before she turned to head upstairs. Maura screwed up her face in an ecstatic grin to herself before composing herself to order Chinese for dinner.

**A/N: Hiya :) I was feeling in a lazy holiday mood today (because I am on holidays and I am being lazy) and this happened. Hope y'all like it :) xo**


	17. Chapter 17

The cool water poured down over her tan skin, but Jane still felt hot. The images of her dream ran through her head and she smiled as the water sprayed over her face. She liked the thought of marrying Maura. With every other person she'd ever dated it made her scared; like "scared" scared, not "nervous" scared. She didn't want it with them. She'd always had her own dream for her wedding, but she'd never imagined who the person beside her would be, but back when she was sharing her idea with Maura, it gave her a buzz inside to know that she'd be there. Now it made sense to her why; Maura was the other person. She'd screwed around with all of those worthless men trying to find her Prince Charming, not even realising that her prince was a princess; a queen.

Another wave of joy flooded her mind, and her body as well, and she was so distracted that she didn't even hear Maura enter the bathroom. The sound of Maura tossing her bra onto the vanity broke her trance and she stuck her head out of the shower. "Hey," she said with a smile.

"Hey," returned the blonde, a smile spreading itself across her face.

"You took your time."

"Sorry, Detective. I couldn't calm myself down enough to make the phone call for dinner."

"What got you so hyped up?"

"You, silly," Maura whispered as she opened the door wider for her to squeeze into the shower as well. "Jesus, Jane! The water's cold."

"I was a little hyped up as well," Jane admitted with a cheeky smile, moving closer to the doctor.

"Jane, dinner will be here in less than half an hour, so no fooling around."

"Buzzkill."

"I am _not_ a buzzkill. Now wash my back." Maura picked up the sponge and lathered it in her fruity body wash and handed it to Jane. She turned around and pulled her damp hair over her shoulder for Jane and leaned her forearms up against the cool tiles. Jane rubbed in large circles all over Maura's back, occasionally holding the sponge above the shorter woman's shoulders and squeezing it, marvelling in how the soapy water danced gracefully over Maura's back, then slipping between her ass cheeks.

It was quickly becoming too much for the brunette.

Jane washed away the soap from Maura's back to make sure she'd removed the drawing and then lathered her all up again, bringing the sponge around her sides to lather up her front as well. "Jane..." Maura warned, but Jane ignored it, lathering up her own front before dropping the sponge and pressing their bodies together.

She let her hands roam around to Maura's full breasts as she began nibbling at the side of her lover's neck. She massaged Maura's firm bosom in her hands, running her fingertips over her hardened nipples. Jane felt the blonde moan at the touch and, knowing that they were on a time schedule, moved her left hand south. She traced around Maura's belly button before slipping into her soapy sex.

Maura arched her back; Jane's right hand getting pressed between the tiles and Maura's breast. "Oh, Jane," she whimpered. She suddenly turned to face the sly detective, enjoying the gentle touch of Jane's hand between her legs. Jane's hand reattached itself to Maura's breast and pinched her shiny wet nipple between her fingers. Maura reached out to the walls as she moaned, needing to brace herself. One hand hit the cold tiles, and her fingertips played in between each separate tile against the mortar, while the other pressed against the glass of the door, which was steaming up quickly despite the still running cold water, creating a rather Titanic like scene.

Jane dipped her fingers further into Maura's wet heat, enjoying the stark difference between it and the cold water cascading over their bodies. She leant forward, letting her hand go from Maura's breast to wrap around her waist, burying her head into Maura's neck. Jane straddled Maura's leg, bringing their bodies flush together; using her hip as leverage as she slipped two fingers inside the blonde. Maura's head lolled forward, resting in the nook of Jane's neck as the pleasure overtook her body.

The brunette's long fingers curled inside Maura's body, beckoning her to come for her. She used her other hand to squeeze the flesh of Maura's waist as her own hips began rocking against the thigh between her legs.

The sounds of moans, whimpers, and the slick wetness of their cores soon drowned out the lashing of water that was still raining down. Jane thought she heard a knock at the front door downstairs, but she was not going to pull away from Maura; not when they were both so close. She bit down onto Maura's pulse point, feeling her tummy tingle in that way. She bent her knees and came back up again, extending the amount of flesh that her sex was rubbing up against.

Maura's hand came from the glass and latched onto Jane's shoulder as she felt the wave of her orgasm approach. She cried out as it finally hit her. It jolted through her body like she was being electrocuted; her hops rocking forward with more force, trying to hold onto it for as long as possible. When she'd calmed, she noticed Jane still rocking against her thigh, so she slipped her hand between them and rubbed vigorously over Jane's clit. She kissed and bit Jane's neck, begging her to come.

Suddenly, she heard a voice echo up the stairs and pushed away from Jane. The detective noticed it too, and promptly stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and marched her dripping self down to the source of the yelling.

"Ma!" Jane growled as she entered the kitchen, the towel wrapped around her body and her hair dripping down her back.

"Jane, I..." she stopped as she turned around to see her very wet, very flushed daughter glaring at her. "What have you been doing?" she asked, a slight lilt in her voice, knowing exactly what she had been doing, or rather 'who'.

"Never you mind. What do you want?"

"Did you order Chinese food?"

"Yes."

"Well, you could at least wait until it was delivered before doing... whatever it was you were doing." She said the last words in her 'clueless' voice, trying to act like she really didn't know what Jane had been up to.

"We were going to be down here, but we got distracted."

"'We', huh?"

"Shut up, Ma!" Just then, Maura appeared in the doorway, wearing much the same as Jane was, which Angela immediately noticed, trying to hide her smile.

"Maura."

"Angela."

"Ma!"

"What?" she asked with a slight chuckle.

"Here's what you do: you collect the Chinese food, put it in the oven to stay warm and leave a note, then _leave_. Got it?"

"Mmmhmm. And what should I say in the note; 'have fun eating out with your girlfriend'?"

"MA!" Angela simply turned and left, a huge grin plastered across her face.

"Oh. My. God." Jane grumbled as she placed the food in the oven and turned to a giggling Maura. "This is not funny."

"Yes it is, Jane." The brunette took a deep breath to calm herself before moving over to Maura. "Now, shall we continue?" Maura whispered, pointing upstairs.

Jane gave one of her side smiles as she whispered, "yes, dear." Maura slipped her hand into Jane's and led her upstairs. They walked back into Maura's bedroom to head to the bathroom, but Jane couldn't wait to see Maura's naked body again, so she dropped her own towel and tugged at the doctor's, who let it slip down her body as she walked. Jane stepped over the discarded towel and followed Maura into the bathroom.

She turned and began leading once Maura had closed the door. She pulled the blonde into the shower with her and turned the tap back on. Both jumped out of the cold water, so Maura frantically turned the hot tap on until the water was warm. They giggled as they stepped back under the spray, Maura's arms wrapping around Jane's waist and Jane's around Maura's neck as they melted into another kiss.

Maura tugged on Jane's bottom lip with her teeth, darting back up to slip her tongue into the brunette's waiting mouth. Jane's left hand wound itself into Maura's hair whilst her right arm slipped over Maura's shoulder to press her body towards her own. The doctor's hands kneaded the flesh of Jane's hips, occasionally running up the length of her torso, giving the detective shivers. Maura dropped her right hand down between the two of them and slipped in between Jane's thighs.

She bent her knees to place kisses across Jane's chest as her free hand moved to Jane's ass. She pulled the cheeks apart, digging her fingernails into the skin beneath. She dropped her hand again as she got down onto her knees, pulling at Jane's thigh for her to open her legs. Jane moaned as Maura kissed her tummy, and leant up to kiss the underside of Jane's breasts once she had spread her legs.

Maura swiped her thumb through Jane's lips and wiggled it quickly over her clit before reaching up to cup a breast. She placed one last kiss to Jane's tummy, just blow her naval, just as she had done to Maura the first time they were about to have a shower together. She wrapped her arm around Jane's thigh as she leaned into Jane's core. Her scent made it all the more hard to take this slowly, so she just gave in, pressing her lips firmly to Jane's. She darted her tongue out, running it through the length of Jane's slit. She lapped up Jane's wetness, squeezing her breast as she did so.

Jane whimpered as Maura drove her wild, her hands holding onto Maura's head to keep her in place. She rocked her hips gently towards Maura, but the longer they went on, the more intense her movements became. She slowly began to slide down the wall, her legs failing her, and soon she was sitting on the tiled floor, her knees bent, and Maura bent over with her head between Jane's thighs.

Jane reached out to the walls just as Maura had, but her hands soon rested on the ground, pushing her hips up into Maura's mouth as her orgasm came strong and hard. She tried to cry out, but instead she groaned in pleasure as her head lolled back and rested against the wall. Maura sat up and rested her hands on Jane's knees, a smile spread across her face. It wasn't the only thing spread across her face.

Jane reached over and rubbed her thumb around Maura's mouth, wiping away the evidence of her orgasm. She brought her thumb up to her mouth and licked it, smiling at the sweet taste. "Hey," Maura whined as she leaned forward to kiss Jane. "I want some," she begged before kissing Jane, slipping her tongue in to taste her.

"You just had some," Jane said in between kisses.

"You know what else I want?"

"Me?"

"All the time, but I really want to eat Chinese food... in bed!"

"Maura, are you ill?"

"No. Why?"

"What if we spilt it?"

"Oh," Maura grumbled, pulling a face. Jane smiled at Maura's funny face and pulled her in for another kiss before standing up to wash herself, letting Maura rest against the wall.

"You get some pillows and meet me downstairs. We'll throw them around with some blankets in front of the T.V to watch some more Disney."

"Ok," Maura practically squeaked. Jane helped her stand up, holding onto her for a few more perfect seconds, pressing a kiss to her love's forehead, then left to set up dinner.


	18. Chapter 18

Maura haphazardly tied her hair up loosely, the few strands of her longer fringe falling across her face. She tucked them behind her ear as she leaned over to grab her pyjama top from under her pillow. She pulled it over her head and flicked her ponytail out behind it. She smiled to herself in the mirror at her casual dress for dinner; a simple tank top, panties covered in flowers and simple (bordering on messy) hair.

Jane called up the stairs that she was ready, so Maura grabbed as many of the pillows from her bed as she could and carried them out of the room. She flicked off the bedroom light with her nose and made her way downstairs. Jane had closed all the curtains and laid out a few blankets from the spare bedroom across the floor in front of the couch where the coffee table usually was. She'd managed to find some candles and had placed them sparingly around the room. The light flickered, creating soft shadows as Maura made her way over to Jane.

She dropped the pillows on the couch and then placed them around the blanket careful not to knock over the Chinese containers that were sitting on placemats in the middle of the blanket. "It's beautiful, Jane," she whispered as she leant towards Jane to drop the last pillow behind the detective. Jane smiled knowingly, then turned to the T.V.

"I had a thought: we can still watch Disney, but perhaps not animated."

"Ok... what then?"

"'Pirates of the Caribbean'?"

"Sounds great," Maura smiled, giving a gentle caress to Jane's arm as the brunette sat down and grabbed the remote. "I can look at the costumes and study their sword fighting techniques," she finished sarcastically.

"Maura!"

"What?" she asked cheekily as she took her seat next to Jane.

"Nothing, just enjoy it."

"I'm watching it with you, Jane." The detective looked at Maura for further clarification. "Of course, I'll enjoy it." They shared a loving smile before Jane turned the T.V on and pressed play, having already placed the DVD in the player.

Whilst the opening credits were playing, Maura opened hers and Jane's Chinese containers, letting out a big waft of steam. She dug her fork into its contents to let some cooler air pass through as Jane did the same. Jane leant around to the corner of the couch and came back with a beer for herself and a red wine for Maura.

"You sat them on the floor?!"

"I didn't spill them, besides you weren't gonna walk that way, so I knew you wouldn't knock the over."

"Oh you knew, did you?"

"Yes, doctor, I knew."

"And just how did you know, may I ask?"

"I know _you_."

"Touché," Maura conceded.

Jane took a long drink from her beer, and then set it back to the side, being overly careful as to make Maura see that she wasn't going to spill it. She then tucked her left foot under her right thigh, as she stretched that leg out. Maura mirrored the brunette's position as she took a sip of her wine. It's sweetness that usually pleased her palette was nothing compared to the sweetness she tasted only a half an hour ago. She chuckled to herself at the thought, then laughed for real when she watched Captain Jack Sparrow's entrance to the docks.

They ate in silence, simply enjoying the quirks of each character until Jane, it seemed, had had enough. "How could _anyone_ survive wearing a corset?"

"I suppose it's just like a big hug."

"A hug across your boobs?"

"I hug you across your boobs," Maura said flatly, raising her eyebrows with a small smirk, waiting for Jane's reaction.

"Yeah, but babe, you let me breathe."

"But I can still take your breath away."

Jane smiled at Maura's cheekiness, which seemed to be a recurring theme of the evening. "You take it away every day," Jane stated as she leaned in to kiss the blonde's cheek. "Now, shush, I'm trying to watch the movie."

"You started it!" Maura exclaimed as she pinched Jane's side.

'_Ow!_' Jane mouthed as she squirmed away, making Maura giggle. "Maura," she whispered.

"Shush, I'm trying to watch the movie." Jane opened her mouth in mock disgust, but it faded as a smile took its place as she turned back to the screen and picked up her food again, feeling almost proud at Maura's use of sarcasm and utter wit. She moved a little closer to the doctor and took a forkful of her food. Maura nonchalantly took a forkful of Jane's in return and leaned in closer to the detective.

They finished eating a short while later, and so Maura moved to take the empty containers to the trash, but Jane grabbed her arm. "I'll do it."

"You don't have to," Maura reasoned.

Jane leaned down as she got to her knees and pressed a kiss to Maura's forehead. "It's ok." Maura sunk back into the pillows and blankets and finished the last of her wine. When she had finished, Jane swooped in to take it to the sink along with her empty beer bottle. When Jane returned, she had a bag of Hershey's Kisses. "Where'd you get them?" Maura questioned.

"Ma dropped them around when you were still upstairs."

"Oh... did she say anything?"

"No...she just... chuckled to herself... and... hugged me... really hard."

"Oh, Jane," Maura said with a slight chuckle herself. She was glad that Angela was so accepting of their budding relationship. It made the whole experience that much more enjoyable. She knew that she didn't have to keep secrets from Jane's mother._What about mine, though?_

Jane wrapped her arm around Maura's shoulders as she sat down, noticing the sudden change in her facial expression. "What is it?"

"I should tell my mother about us."

"Which one?"

"Both, I suppose," she answered with a shrug. "But I won't tell Paddy. His enemies might hurt you."

"It's ok, Maura." She pulled her into her chest to hug her; resting her chin on the other woman's head. "When do you want to tell them?"

The bright blur of the T.V screen glowed over Jane's skin as Maura looked up into her eyes. "Let's finish the movie first." Jane nodded and released Maura, beginning to open the packet of chocolates. She paused.

"What they think won't affect 'us', will it?"

"Of course not, Jane; I love you, and I _will_ by your girlfriend, and whatever they may think will not change that." She rubbed her hand soothingly over Jane's forearm before speaking again. "Besides, it's not like they're in my life every day like your mother is."

"Right. I love you too." Jane busied herself with opening the packet as Maura refocussed on the movie. Soon though, she felt Jane tickle her shoulder so she turned to the distraction and was prompted to open her mouth for a Hershey's Kiss. Jane placed it delicately on her tongue before popping one in her own mouth. Maura moaned at the softness of the chocolate... perhaps a little too much. "So, who kisses do you like more: Hershey's or mine?" Jane asked.

Maura sat thinking as she finished her chocolate before answering. "I don't know. You're both very sweet and delicious. You both end up somewhere around my hips." Jane gasped dramatically at Maura's rather risqué talk, to which she chuckled. "Ja... shush!" she managed through her giggles. "I do love Hershey's, but I love yours more."

"Aw," Jane replied, tilting her head slightly. "Why don't we combine them?"

"Ok."

Jane picked up a Kiss and unwrapped it, but paused. "How?"

"You didn't want to..." Maura started as she motioned between each other's mouths with her index finger.

"Nah, I'd probably drool all over you."

"Thanks for that image."

"You're welcome," she chuckled. "I could kiss it off your tummy."

"Ok," Maura agreed, wriggling down the pillows so that she was lying on the blanket before pulling up her shirt. She sat up suddenly and took the tank top off completely, giving Jane many a place to kiss. Jane smiled in delight, the movie on the screen long forgotten. She dug her hand back into the Hershey's packet and pulled out a handful of chocolates. She quickly unwrapped them, trying with all her night not to take her eyes off the naked Maura in front of her.

She delicately placed the chocolates on Maura's skin, eliciting a small gasp as she placed each one down. "What?" she whispered.

"They're cold," Maura replied. Jane giggled as she placed another one, making Maura gasp again. Jane tossed the wrappers aside and sat up. She removed her own shirt then straddled Maura's lower legs so that she could lean over to kiss the Kisses off Maura. She leant over to the blonde's tummy and took the first Kiss into her mouth. She made sure to run her tongue along the spot where the chocolate was, to warm Maura up.

Maura's hand came down to play with Jane's hair as she took another Kiss from Maura's skin. She was slowly making her way up the doctor's body and was soon taking the Kiss from between Maura's breasts. Jane felt Maura's fingernails scrap along her scalp as she placed other ordinary kisses across her skin up to the last Kiss at her collarbone. "Jane?"

"Hmm?" she answered, looking up into Maura's caramel eyes.

"Kiss me." Jane leant up and pressed her lips to Maura's, softly at first then she slowly opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Soon enough, the end credits of the film came across the screen, and Jane pulled away. She sat up and reached over to the remote and switched the T.V off. She picked up a blanket from the couch and brought it over with her.

Maura opened her arms for Jane to snuggle in, but instead Jane lay down at her side with the blanket draped across her legs and bunched some pillows up behind her head and grabbed some for Maura too. Maura rolled over into Jane's embrace and snuggled into the nook of her neck. She peppered the skin of Jane's neck until she felt Jane's breathing calm. She placed one last kiss to the soft spot behind Jane's ear and then rested her head and let sleep come.

**A/N Hey guys :) I'll try to update another chapter by the end of this week as I am not going to have access to a constant interent source for the next 2 weeks :( I will try to find an internet cafe or something, I promise! but if I don't, I will obviously be late with new updates, so when I do update, I'll have a few chapters for you 3 xo**


	19. Chapter 19

The light was creeping in through the window too slowly for Maura. She rolled onto her tummy, glancing up at Jane every five seconds to check if she was waking up yet. She kicked her legs up at the knees and crossed her ankles impatiently. She face planted the pillow in front of her and attempted to groan quietly as she wished Jane would spontaneously wake up.

She had an idea and she wanted to tell Jane.

It was becoming way too much for the normally composed doctor. "Jane..." she whispered. All she got was a grumble. "Jane..." she said a little louder with a slight shove. Jane groaned as she began waking up. "Jane," she practically sang whilst crawling on top of her girlfriend.

"Maura," Jane mumbled. The blonde began nibbling and kissing Jane's neck, hoping the sweet sensation would help rouse her. "Maura, stop," Jane whinged as she brought her hands up to push Maura's shoulders. She opened her eyes briefly to glance at her watch. "Maura, are you kidding me?! It's not even seven yet. Let me sleep." She drew out the last word as she whinged some more.

"But Jane, I have an idea."

"If your idea is anything but "let's sleep all day", then I don't wanna hear it."

"Do you want to go to the zoo?" Jane didn't respond, so Maura thought she had fallen back asleep. "Jane?" she said with a little wriggle of her body so that Jane's would wriggle too.

"What?"

"Do you want to go to the zoo?"

"I'm thinking." Maura sighed as she let Jane think. "Ok, but can I sleep some more?"

"Of course," Maura finished with a small smile, leaning in to kiss the brunette's cheek. She rested her head on Jane's shoulder as she felt the other woman's arms wrap around her back and closed her eyes, ready to fall back to sleep. But now she was awake and excited. She tried to calm herself down and to let Jane sleep some more but it was so very hard when all she wanted to do was drag Jane around the zoo all day and watch baby elephants interact with each other.

She screwed her face up, knowing that she was going to get a grumbly and sleepy Jane if she started talking again, but she _really_ wanted to get up. "Jane."

"Yes, Maura?"

"Oh, you're awake."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to fall asleep."

"How?"

"I _know _you, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Jane smiled to herself, leaning forward to kiss the top of Maura's head.

"So, you wanna get up?"

"Yes, please!" She pushed off Jane, but not before kissing her soundly on the lips, then danced around on her tip-toes as she waited for Jane to sit up. She helped Jane up and began dragging her to her bedroom for them to get dressed.

"Maura, we have hours before the zoo opens."

"Well, I don't want to be late."

"Maura," Jane said with a giggle as the blonde stopped and turned around. "You're adorable when you're excited, and I love that; I love you, but you know that when we get to the zoo, it's gonna bug you that we left the living room in such a mess, so help me fix it up now, and then we can have a nice, easy breakfast in our underwear, and then we can get dressed. We don't have to rush anything, okay?"

Maura took a deep breath and smiled. "Okay."

"Besides, my boobs are cold and my top is downstairs." Maura chuckled as she turned Jane around and followed her downstairs. Jane picked up her tank top and tossed Maura's to her and they quickly put them on before gathering up the pillows from Maura's bed scattered around the ruffled blankets and carrying them upstairs. Jane chucked them on the bed any old way, knowing that Maura would go 'tisk tisk' at her and straighten them up. She left the room and moved back down to the blankets to fold them.

She gathered them all up and dumped them on the couch before grabbing one and laying it flat on the ground. She held the two bottom corners under her toes as she held the top two in her hands and fell forward into the push up position and pulling the blanket taught. She walked around a bit like a monkey for a bit, pulling at the corners until the blanket was flat and then moved to bring the bottom corners up to the top. She continued to fold the blanket in half until it was small enough for her to hold in her arm span and finish folding. She did this with the next blanket as well until Maura came down to help her with the last one.

When the blankets were back in the guest bedroom and the linen closet, Jane pushed the coffee table back into place, making sure it was close enough to the couch so she could put her feet up. She straightened up the cushions on the couch as well, then walked over to the kitchen counter where Maura was making them a cup of coffee.

"What do you want for breakfast, babe?"

"Hmmm,"

"What? Can't decide between pancakes or bacon and eggs?"

"No, I can't get over you calling me 'babe'."

"Really...babe?" Maura simply shook her head at the cheeky detective in front of her, knowing that she was falling even more in love with her.

"I think bacon and eggs sounds lovely."

"Okay then," Jane said, leaning over to peck Maura on the cheek. She walked to the fridge and opened it to get out the eggs and bacon and also some strawberries for Bass. She placed the bacon and eggs on the counter then moved behind Maura to get to the tortoise. Maura stopped her coffee porn to watch Jane, interested in what she was doing. When she saw her bend down to hold out a strawberry for Bass, her heart melted.

"Oh, Jane; you're feeding Bass."

"I thought that was what I was doing."

"Why?"

"Well, if I keep staying over here all the time, I should probably get on his good side." She stood up once Bass had taken the piece of fruit and she turned to Maura. "Like calling him a tortoise for starters."

"Jane..." Maura started before she felt tears creeping into her eyes.

"Are you crying?"

"No, I'm just so proud of you."

"For calling him a tortoise?"

"Yes."

"You do know that I knew he was a tortoise, right?"

"Then why would you never-"

"To tease you, silly!" she explained wrapping her arms around her dumb genius.

"Oh," she heard Maura say, followed shortly after by a sniffle and a chuckle. She gave the shorter woman and extra squeeze before pulling back and leaning down until she was her height.

"I love you, you know. You're so smart but so silly and I love that." Maura could feel herself blushing so she reached her arms around Jane's neck and pulled her in for a kiss. She breathed in deeply through her nose as she sunk into the brunette's arms. She suddenly started deepening the kiss, slipping her tongue into Jane's mouth. She pushed her body flush up against Jane's and began running her fingers into the detective's hair.

Jane pulled back a little, resting her forehead on Maura's. "Breakfast," she whispered.

"I could eat you for breakfast," Maura whispered back.

"Then we might be late for the zoo," Jane said, and Maura instantly pulled back, all giggly again. Jane raised her hands in confusion as Maura whizzed past her and grabbed the bacon and eggs and moved to the stove. "What happened to eating me for breakfast?"

"We could be late for the zoo, like you said." Maura looked up to see a slightly disappointed Jane. "Don't worry, I can eat you for dinner."

"Not lunch?"

"We'd have to do it in a public bathroom or something, but I'm sure we could pull it off," Maura replied suggestively.

"I love you, but no," Jane chuckled sarcastically. The pair of them laughed together as their breakfast cooked.

They ate breakfast with the radio on listening to old '80s songs, did the washing up, still tapping their feet along with Bon Jovi before moving up to Maura's bedroom to get dressed. Jane pulled on a pair of baggy jeans and a simple blue t-shirt, whilst Maura wore a casual pair of white cargo pants and a tank top with a floral print. Jane wore sneakers whilst Maura wore sandals and both women pulled their hair up into ponytails.

Once they'd brushed their teeth, applied their make-up and Maura had packed her bag including two water bottles for her and Jane, they headed outside to tell Angela where they were going. Jane knocked on the door and heard Jo yapping on the other side. She bent down to wish her a good morning while Maura informed Angela of the day's plans. Angela gave them both a kiss on the cheek, wishing them a pleasant day, and with that, they were off to the zoo.


	20. Chapter 20

When they pulled into the Franklin Park Zoo parking lot, there were only about half a dozen cars there. Maura smiled at her insistence to leave early as to avoid the rush and panic of finding a parking space. They pulled into a parking space that was equally close to the entrance and equally close to the back of the lot in case they wished to have a "lunch time snack" in the car.

Jane skipped around to Maura's side of the car and opened the door for her queen before slipping her arm around the shorter woman's waist as they headed into the zoo. As soon as they'd purchased their tickets, more cars started pulling in to the lot, quickly filling the spaces nearer the entrance.

Jane pulled Maura to the side past the swarm of children that were now flocking in so that they could have a look at their map. They figured out that out of the two entrances they had come in via the Zebra Entrance meaning that they would be able to start at animal directory number 1, "Serengeti Crossing". Just as they were about to head off, Maura grabbed Jane's hand and pulled her back to her.

"You okay, Maur?"

"Yes, Jane; I'm fine. But if I promise not to go all...Googlemouth, will you promise to hold my hand all day?" Jane's face broke out in a cheesy grin as she gently shook her head.

"Maura, you can hold my hand anytime you want to; you don't have to make a bargain."

"Please, Jane?"

"Oh, I get it. You don't want to talk like Google today."

"I've forgotten what it feels like to be a kid going to the zoo for the first time, and I don't want to ruin it with Latin."

"I'll tell you what: you can hold my hand no matter what, but the second you start giving me the evolutionary history of an animal, I get to kiss the words off your lips... Sound good?"

"Very good," Maura said with a big toothy grin. She linked her fingers tighter with Jane's and swung their arms together as they made their way over to the zebras. Jane slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone, preparing to snap random photos of Maura throughout the day. She snapped the first one as Maura giggled at the zebras jiggling their backside muscles to ward off the flies that were constantly buzzing around. Maura resisted the urge to start telling Jane about why they do that and instead turn dramatically to the taller woman and posed a question. "Jane, do you think zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes?"

"Well, I always thought they were white with black stripes 'cause you can see their plain white tummies and then where the black stripes start," she answered in her best scientific voice, but then turned back to Maura. "Unless the great doctor thinks otherwise."

"I think that's very logical, Jane, and I am inclined to believe you." Maybe it was the way she said it, or her cheeky side smile, but Jane didn't believe her.

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

"Why, Jane, whatever do you mean? Would I be sarcastic with you?"

"Shut up, you!" she chuckled, pulling Maura into a tight hug. She let her arm hang loosely around Maura's neck; the doctor reaching up to link their fingers together as they made their way past the wildebeests over to the ostriches. After one had caught Jane imitating it with its long neck and legs, the two women giggled their way to the children's zoo and over to the red panda. Maura squatted down to get a closer look at a sleeping one, pressing her hand flat against the glass as one approached her cautiously. Jane snapped another photo and quickly looked at the one of her and the ostrich that Maura had taken.

They made their way past the other animals, not getting too close to see as some children had made their way in and were hogging the glass. They exited the enclosure and Jane suddenly tugged Maura over to the "Little Critters" area.

"Jane, slow down!"

"But Maura... Look! It's Bass!" she said excitedly as she pointed at tortoises just in front of them. Maura chuckled, noting again that Jane was refraining from saying 'turtle'. They moved slowly over to the sugar gliders after Jane insisted that they take a photo of the tortoises for Bass to see. Jane darted her head around, trying to see the little sugar gliders which Maura said could fit in the palm of your hand. Maura finally spotted one and pulled Jane close so that she could point to it over her shoulder.

When Jane had seen the small mammal she moved over to a glassed enclosure and immediately spotted a rather frightening looking boa constrictor wrapped around a tree branch. Maura moved in front of her to get a closer look at the reptile giving Jane the opportunity to wrap her arms around the blonde's waist.

"Jane, what are you doing?" she asked as the detective began to squeeze.

"I'm being a boa constrictor," she whispered in the doctor's ear before pressing a chaste kiss to her neck.

"I don't think snakes kiss, Jane."

"Oh, right; they dart their tongues out," she practically hissed as she stuck her tongue out to lightly lick the blonde's blushing neck, but pulled back completely when a young family entered the enclosure.

The two professionals-turned- children giggled their way out of the enclosure again and walked peacefully through the zoo. After they had left the "Kalahari Kingdom", Jane looked down at her watch and noticed that it was long after noon, and her tummy was rumbling. As they made their way back to the centre of the zoo, Maura noticed that the carousel was operating and gave Jane a suggestive smile, hinting that she'd like a ride.

"Let's get some lunch first, okay?" Maura nodded and skipped over to the nearest spot to grab some food and lined up to order some hotdogs. They were larger than she'd thought they'd be so she decided on one each and bought a juice as well. She found Jane lying down on a patch of grass, the sunlight bouncing off her skin making her glow like an angel; a very badass sexy angel. If there weren't hundreds of people, including children, around, she'd have happily made love with Jane at that very moment. She settled for a quick kiss on her cheek telling Jane that lunch was ready.

"We should bring our kids here one day," Jane said in between bites of her hotdog.

"Oh, yeah; and how many kids are we having?"

"I don't know, babe. How many do you want?"

"I'd like at least two, because even though you're brothers annoy you, you always seemed more whole because you had them growing up; someone to turn to that wasn't an adult. I never had that." Jane licked off a droplet of sauce from her hand and wiped it on her jeans before reaching over to stroke Maura's thigh.

"I know, so we'll have at least two, but we don't want to have a whole army either."

"Jane, we're lesbians. It's not like we'd have one by accident. The children we have, we get to choose when we have them and we know that they will be loved and cherished because we want them." Jane smiled back at her, the image of a family of her own with Maura exploding in her mind like fireworks. She swore she felt tears creeping into her eyes so she instinctively rubbed her eyes and leaned over to kiss the blonde.

"I love you," she whispered before leaning back.

"And I love you." Maura returned the smile that Jane gave her and finished the last of the juice before standing excitedly, preparing herself for the carousel. She had a drink of water and insisted Jane have a drink too as the acid from the juice could damage their teeth. Jane hopped on the carousel as well, sitting on a horse diagonally across from Maura so they could hand her phone to each other, taking shots of them acting like love sick teenagers.

The rest of the day got quieter as the sun started setting and families with young children started heading home. By 3pm they'd circled the zoo twice, able to see some animals that they couldn't see the first time around. Maura had stopped skipping everywhere, slowly becoming tired herself, but she wasn't going to give up on their day yet. As the staff walked around the zoo telling any remaining people that they were closing at 4pm, Maura and Jane made their way to the gift shop intending to buy something to help remember the day. They settled on a small stuffed hippo with 'Franklin Park Zoo' stitched on his side. Jane picked up a key ring on her way to the counter for Korsak. She figured she'd give it to him about the same time she'd tell him about her and Maura.

When they had purchased their gifts, they walked arm in arm back to the car and got in ready to head home. "I don't feel like going home just yet."

"Me neither," Jane agreed. She leaned against the steering wheel as she thought about what to do. "Do you wanna go back to the park?"

"Yeah, I'd love that."

They pulled out onto the busier than normal streets of Boston due to peak hour traffic and slowly made their way to the park from yesterday. When they got there, the sun was going down behind the tree tops casting a magical glow throughout the park. All the families from the day had gone home so the playground was free. Jane sat down on one of the swings and lolled her head back when she swung through, her long hair almost touching the dirt had it not been pulled up into a ponytail. Maura took a photo of Tarzan-like Jane, then sat down in the swing beside her.

"What do you want to do, Jane?"

"Nothing; I just wanna swing with my girlfriend." Maura was happy with that so she began kicking her legs to make her swing higher. Soon enough, Jane turned it into a competition, but slowed down to jump off when Maura was still flying through the air. She snapped one last photo on her phone before helping Maura slow down. She pushed her for a little while until they could no longer see the other side of the park. Hearing the silence creep up on them, and knowing how dangerous the dark would soon become, Jane took Maura's hand and made a b-line for the car.

They drove around Boston for a while longer before pulling up at the Dirty Robber for some dinner. Jane was somewhat relieved to notice that it was rather empty of the usual cops, that way her relationship with Maura would stay a secret a little bit longer. They could have easily just been 'Jane and Maura: Friends' going for dinner, but Jane recently found that her hand would slip into Maura's of its own accord and that she'd stay extra close to the doctor, and she really didn't want to stop that.

They sat in their usual booth and both had a greasy burger with fries washed down with a beer. Jane smiled as Maura took a swig of her own beer, growing quite accustomed to its taste. Dinner wasn't rushed, and the conversation wasn't always constant. Sometimes the two women were quite happy to just sit and stare at each other or play footsies under the table. But when Jane looked at her watch again and saw that it was just after 9pm and that they both had work tomorrow, they decided to head home.

Jane drove with Maura's hand resting on her thigh as she flicked through the photos of the day, smiling and giggling at the faces they pulled. When Jane glanced over at the blonde as they sat at a red light, the doctor's smile became infectious and it would take all of her strength to keep her eyes on the road the rest of the way home and into Maura's driveway.

"Okay, we're home."

"Yes, we are," Maura whispered as they made their way into the house.


	21. Chapter 21

Jane closed the door quietly behind her as Maura made her way to the kitchen to refill her water bottles. Jane pulled her hair out and gently pulled Maura's out too as she came up behind her. She wrapped her arms around the doctor's waist and buried her tired face in the golden locks. Maura pushed away from the sink, but not away from Jane and waddled to the fridge to replace the bottles. She moved back across the kitchen to Bass, the brunette still attached to her back and bent down to wish him goodnight. Jane let go, then bent down as well to tell Bass about the tortoises they saw at the zoo, but the large reptile looked rather sleepy, so Jane left it.

When she stood back up, Maura wrapped her arms around to the detective's back pockets and slipped her hands in. She gave Jane's ass a light squeeze to keep her awake, even though she felt her own eyelids grow heavy. "Don't go to sleep just yet, Jane."

"But I'm tired." Maura buried her head into Jane's neck, inhaling the other woman's smell. She placed a soft kiss to her neck, slowly heading up to her ear lobe to nip at it. "Okay, I'm awake," Jane grumbled as she felt Maura's tongue lace around her ear. She pulled back to see Maura's eyes closing and decided that she'd have to keep the doctor awake just a little bit longer as well. Jane brought her arms around to Maura's sides and ghosted them up and down over the curve of her hips and to the sides of her breasts. "Well, you can't fall asleep now either."

"I'm not," Maura mumbled, so clearly falling asleep due to Jane's gentle touch. The cheeky detective slipped her hands around to Maura's front and gently ran her fingertips over her breasts. Maura gasped as she felt her nipples harden, making her open her eyes and jump back. "Jane! Don't be cheeky."

"I thought you liked it when I was cheeky," she whispered, inching her way closer.

"I do, but I'm tired," Maura whinged as Jane pulled their bodies together again. She felt Jane kiss the top of her head as her fingers moved across her collarbones. "No more cheekiness."

"Okay, no more cheekiness," she agreed as she pulled back to look Maura in the eye.

Jane ran her right hand into the soft wisps of hair at Maura's temple, revelling in the way the blonde's eyes fluttered shut as if the sensation was too much to bear. She slipped her other hand behind Maura's neck, entwining her fingers into the hairs at the nape of her neck. She dragged her fingernails along her scalp there eliciting a small moan. She pushed her right hand further into Maura's hair then brought it over to the other side of the doctor's head, bringing the mass of hair with it. The wave of Maura's hair intensified in that simple motion; making her look quite seductive.

Maura smiled sleepily, keeping her eyes closed as she heard Jane chuckle to herself. She pressed her tired body against the detective's and pressed another kiss to her neck. "Take me to bed, Jane." She brought her arms up to wrap around Jane's neck, lolling her head to the right to maintain her new hairstyle. Jane's hands came down to just below Maura's ass and squeezed gently, silently asking her to jump. Maura wrapped her legs around Jane's hips, humming contently to herself in the way that they moved against her sex.

Jane smiled to herself as Maura settled against her, reminding her of a small child who had just run themselves ragged all day, which was, essentially, exactly what Maura had done. The way she skipped from the hippos enclosure to the tigers, all the while keeping her fingers entwined with Jane's, forcing her to be as jovial as she was, was beyond adorable to the brunette.

When they reached Maura's bedroom, Jane lay Maura down across the bed and hooked her fingers under the waistband of the doctor's pants. Maura released her hold around Jane's neck to untie the loose drawstring of her pants so that Jane could pull them off. She sat up to remove her own shirt when Jane crossed the room to place the neatly folded pair of pants on the chair in the corner.

She reached around and undid her bra as well and handed them to Jane when she came back over, still with her eyes shut. She spun around to flick off the unnecessary pillows from her bed, knowing which ones to keep by their soft texture. She pulled the covers back enough for her to slip in and hunkered down into the pillows. She heard Jane undressing too and stretched her arm across the bed to pull back the covers for Jane, but she'd tucked them in too well that morning and so she gave up with a grumble.

She felt Jane crawl in a few moments later after switching the light off. Jane pulled the pillows down under her head and opened her arm for Maura who instinctively rolled into her side, wrapping a limp arm under her small bust. Her fingers found their way back into Maura's hair, twirling them lightly to lull the doctor off to sleep.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?" Jane responded; her own eyes now closed.

"Thank you for coming with me to the zoo."

"Thank you for asking me." She dipped her head to kiss the top of Maura's head, but the blonde looked up at the last second and pressed her lips to Jane's. She sucked softly at Jane's bottom lip, gingerly running her tongue across it. Jane opened her mouth and returned the gesture, before slowly rolling herself into Maura. She lay alongside the blonde, who was now on her back, still kissing gently. She felt Maura take a deep breath in through her nose and so she pulled back, licking her slightly swollen bottom lip.

"Jane?"

"Yes, Maur?"

"Love me." Jane pressed their lips together again, gradually deepening the kiss as her hand trailed over Maura's soft breast with its hardened nipple down to her hips. She gave her hip a slight squeeze before slipping her hand into the blonde's panties.

"I'll never stop."

When Maura's alarm went off hours later, she rolled over and flung her arm across the bed to wrap around Jane, except she was not there. She opened her eyes and found a note instead. She looked around the room, noticing Jane's clothes gone and looked at the note. _I have to go home to get dressed. You looked too beautiful to wake (check your phone), so I left you this note. See you at work, babe xoxo._ Maura smiled as she sat up against the pillows and reached over to her phone. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she unlocked her phone and opened the photo that Jane took.

She was lying on her tummy with her hair spread out over the pillow and the sheet draped casually over her butt. Her arms were tucked under the pillow revealing the swell of her breast pressing against the soft mattress. Maura took a deep breath and placed her phone aside, getting out of bed to head to the bathroom.

She had a quick shower unable to stop thinking about Jane and all the places she'd kissed in the last few days, deciding to head in early just to see her. She noticed that her face washer was hung rather messily over the top of the shower wall and realised that Jane must've had a shower before she left. She straightened it up after washing her face and rinsing her hair clear of any remaining conditioner.

When she hopped out of the shower she saw that Jane had written a message on the mirror, too: _I love you to the moon and back._ Maura grinned, hopelessly in love, as she ruffled her hair dry with the towel and then wrapped it around herself and moved back into her room to get dressed.


	22. Chapter 22

Maura walked into BPD just after 9am wearing her lemon yellow Jimmy Choos with a snug fitting dress with a subtle floral print. She had her hair loosely braided over her shoulder and her handbag hanging at her elbow. She felt ridiculously calm despite everyone's eyes on her. She looked over at Angela in the Division One café and smiled. She stepped into the elevator and whizzed down to the morgue.

She had been called to a crime scene just before she left the house and was somewhat downhearted to find that it wasn't Jane's case. The elevator doors dinged open and she saw Jane standing at the door to her office. She tried her very best not to run into the tall detective's arms, because it had been, after all, only a few hours since they had been together. "Hello, detective," she greeted as she waltzed past Jane to her office.

"Hello, Maura. Where were you this morning?" she asked as she closed the door behind her. "I came down to see you and you weren't here."

"To see me?"

"To make out with you," Jane confessed.

"I got called to a crime scene. I was just about to do the young man's autopsy right now," she explained, pulling out her scrubs and kicking off her shoes.

"Mind if I watch?"

"Jane, it's not your case."

"I meant watch you undress."

"Oh. Well, in that case, you can help...if you want," she suggested with a teasing smile. Jane quickly stepped up against the doctor's rear end, swaying from side to side as she pulled down the zip of her dress.

"I like your hair like this," Jane whispered into Maura's ear.

"I like yours when it's spread out across my pillow." Jane pressed a kiss just below Maura's ear as she slipped the dress off the blonde's shoulders. Maura sucked in a breath as the cool air of her air conditioned office touched her skin, but let it out slowly when Jane's breath warmed her up again, hitting the base of her neck and dancing across her shoulders.

Jane let the dress drop until it caught on the doctor's voluptuous hips, then slipped her hands down along Maura's waist, pushing them under the smooth material of the dress. She dug her fingertips into Maura's hips, the force of which eased the dress over and down the doctor's legs. Despite how intensely aroused she was becoming, she couldn't let Susie or another member of her staff (or anyone in Boston, really) see her dress wrinkled, so she swiftly bent over to pick it up, her ass bumping into Jane's front.

Jane bit her lip cheekily, wanting so very much to continue what she was doing, but she had work to do as did her gorgeous girlfriend. "I hate to leave you, babe, but I'd better go before you get too carried away."

"Me?!" Maura exclaimed, spinning around holding her scrub shirt to her chest. Seeing the twinkle in Jane's eye, she knew that she was being sarcastic and so gave a just as cheeky smile in return. "Fine, but I'm coming up to see you when I'm finished." Jane nodded; being oddly speechless at the present moment, and turned to leave. She blew the doctor a kiss as she closed the door and made her way back up to Korsak.

Jane slumped in her chair after refilling her coffee for the umpteenth time in the past 3 hours. Either she was too distracted by her interlude with the heavenly doctor earlier that morning, or this work was just so goddamn boring, but she needed a constant caffeine kick to keep her awake. She'd always loved the finding clues, putting them together, and the eventual catching of the bad guy, but when it came to the paperwork part of her job, Jane Rizzoli very much disliked being a detective. It was easy enough stuff, but it was so tedious and repetitive; evidence, clues, witnesses, everything that helped them solve the case had to be documented step by step, and boy was that boring.

"Why don't they just give us a camera to wear so everything is recorded instead?"

"'Cause you'd forget to take it off before you kissed Maura," Frankie mumbled from the other side of the room.

"I heard that," Jane grumbled back, trying with all her might not to laugh because it was true. It was just after noon and her 'finished' pile of folders was gradually getting taller than her 'hurry up and do these before Cavanaugh busts you back down to uniform' pile. The Lieutenant hated it immensely when detectives were late finishing their reports.

Sure, he hated doing them back when he was a detective, but now that he was head honcho, these things needed to get done on time. He had stepped out for lunch, with Angela Jane suspected, and Frankie had fallen asleep at his desk, a puddle of drool developing on an open folder. Jane had given him a shove, but when he hadn't moved, she'd taken a photo and moved on. Korsak had excused himself to the bathroom, and Jane was pretending to work, but was instead drawing little love hearts with 'J loves M' written across them on her note pad.

A sudden ding from the elevator woke her from her trance and she looked over to see Maura coming towards her, a big smile on her face. "I'm finished work, Jane. Do you want to go somewhere nice for lunch?"

"I'd love to, babe," Jane started, leaning back in her chair to stretch her sore muscles. "But Cavanaugh will kill me if I don't get these reports done. Sorry." Maura glanced over the detective's desk and smiled.

"Well, maybe you'd get more work done if you weren't scribbling on scrap pieces of paper like a lovesick teenager." Jane chuckled to herself and closed her notepad.

"Maybe."

"So, you really can't have lunch with me?"

"I'm sorry," Jane felt so angry at herself for not trying to finish these reports. She hated to see Maura disappointed like she was at that moment.

"Never mind, I'll have lunch and I'll bring you something when I'm finished."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jane," Maura replied as she bent down to give Jane a sweet kiss. She didn't even check to see if anyone was watching, for if she had, she would've noticed Korsak standing at the doorway, his mouth agape, but a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "See you later," she whispered as she wiped the evidence of their kiss from Jane's lips.

Jane watched, mesmerized, as Maura made her way to the elevator and stepped in, blowing a kiss before the doors shut. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to figure out how something so beautifully amazing had happened to her.

"So, you two make a cute couple," Korsak stated as he sat himself back down. Jane sat up straight, startled. "If Frost were here, he'd owe me fifty bucks."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Frost said you two would get together after 3 years; I said it would take more."

"You guys were betting on us?"

"We didn't have very successful love lives, so we had to take part in someone else's."

"What?" Jane asked with a burst of laughter.

"Well, anyone he ever seemed to like: no real spark, except for Nedda, but she came later. And anyone I ever... I never dated, so no spark. But we saw a definite spark between you and the doc, so we became sort of... fans of your budding relationship."

"You're a weird old man."

"It's true, but I would've won fifty dollars, so...meh."

Jane took a deep breath, trying to get her head around the sort of mini pool her two partners had created based on hers and Maura's relationship. It was funny, she had to admit. "Maura's gonna laugh so hard," she chuckled. Korsak chuckled as well, which turned into a laugh that woke Frankie up.

"What's I miss?"

"Nothing, baby brother. Go back to sleep."

"No, don't go back to sleep, Frankie," Cavanaugh ordered as he passed from the elevator to his office. Jane chuckled again to herself as Frankie wiped the drool form his mouth and desk.

"So, Vince... You're okay with this?"

"Absolutely. I'm very happy for you, Janie."

"Yeah, so am I."


End file.
